It is amazing to come across flat water all night and wake to mountains in the distance. By 0730 we could make out the north coast of the Dominican Republic with its massive topography. We were used to the flats of the Bahamas and so this was rewarding. As we travelled closer we could see the lush tropical landscape that covers the island. After a motorsail from Turks and Caicos, we managed to arrive by noon in Luperon.

Upon entering the protected waters of the Bahia de Luperon, we made landfall ( literally we  briefly  touched that muck bottom on our way in!). We found a spot to anchor in this quiet harbor.  Surrounded by mangroves but with towering hills and mountains as backdrop, this place is considered one of the best storm and hurricane holes in the Caribbean. We needed to be here for the next cold front and North wind. We were surprised by the number of resident boats that were on moorings here. And all sorts of vessels (let just say some just needed more love than others to get them out to the open water).

After squaring things away on the boat, we took off looking to check in. Upon arrival, at the infamous dinghy dock from #€£¥!! We encountered several official looking  gentlemen sitting by a couple of trailer-offices. We asked about checking in and looking at their watches mumbled something like ” not today , return tomorrow” in Spanish. Through hand signals and smiles however we were allowed to venture into town, despite our quarantine status. It was Sunday and there was very little open, but we were able to get our bearings on el banco, el supermercado, and a few restaurantes we might like to try.

We met other cruisers in town who told us about a nice restaurant /bar at a little marina in the harbor. We made our stop there after visiting Luperon and had our first taste of the national beer Presidente. How good it felt to relax after a long day and overnight in some challenging waters. 

We did return for the clearing in process on Monday. We paid our entrance fees to Immigration, Agriculture, and  Customs was a freebie, and were told Port Authority would be available on Tuesday. The final task was to await the arrival to the boat by the Commadancia of the Navy. He was the official one to declare us clear to boringly touristas. There was only one problem, he didn’t have a boat. What? We said politely with furrowed brow. The Commander of the Navy for Luperon doesn’t have a boat to visit the boats coming into his harbor?  Well isn’t that a bit of irony. With further explanation, we were directed to an office across the river and up the hill where we might find him, but the bridge was out. So it was suggested that we walk through town, turn left,  cross the bridge and make another left onto a dirt road and up the hill or we could just wait until someone else brought him out to the boat. We opted for the latter. 

We found the ATM  as the banco was still closed due to holiday. OK so the exchange is 46 pesos to the US dollar. Which means, although 500 pesos sounds like a lot it is only $10.So after a few withdrawals we finally heave enough money for a light lunch. We stopped at Jeff’s French cafe and ordered a pizza and couple of Presidentes and partake of the free WIFI. We were happy to have arrived and looking forward to enjoying some different culture. We had been told that the folks of this city are so kind, and of course we welcomed the first person to approach us speaking English offering to help us with any of our needs during our visit. He looked quite prepared for the day with a huge umbrella. We asked about a road map we could use if we decided to take a motorbike into the country. So this kind individual said ” come with me to my house and we can get it” ( little children are told not to speak to strangers for a reason….” come here little children, want to see my big fat oven?” In the pouring rain we walked 4-5 blocks, finally glad when he pointed and said ” there is my house”. We managed to duck out of the rain into a carport sort of outside patio. He was dry but the cuffs of his jeans….did I mention he did not share the umbrella…leaving Mike and I soaked to the skin. He offered a chair, as I politely sat I felt the degree of dampness in my clothes and quickly stood, hoping that I would drip dry faster. He introduced his mother and sister, told his mother to make us coffee and took out a set of cards which had very worn pictures on them of beach and sunset scenes. He said “they are hand painted t shirts, for 10$ which I will get for you tomorrow… please pick one. “. I was polite and said NO I don’t need a t shirt today. Unfortunately he didn’t find a map, but we thanked him for his effort and would find him of we had any needs. We knew that we had other contacts in Luperon for just about any needs. We were approached at the boat day 1 by both ‘ handy Andy’ and ‘Poppo’ in their meager fishing / supply boats letting us know that they had services. They could get water, fuel, essential supplies (beer), wash the boat, clean the prop, etc. Handy Andy was a very likable guy who told us ” you want just one egg?  I’ll bring it out to you”. They would stop by about every other day if they saw us on deck and ask if ” is ok?” Meaning did we need anything.  We did take him up on fresh water fill for our tanks. He also sent Domingo, his right hand man to clean our prop the day before we left Luperon.

Most days we woke to Chris Parker weather reports hoping for a weather opportunity to sail to Puerto Rico , the next island on our way through the Greater Antilles into the Leeward and Windward islands of the Caribbean.  We spent a few mornings with coffee in hand just taking in the beautiful mountains ape of the Dominican we had from the cockpit. Several mornings we awoke to rain showers that lasted on and off during the morning hours. There were usually tasks to get done: re -arranging the supplies, cleaning the stainless, working on managing our email, finances with limited internet access and fixing something. Wind and waves are hard in this home of ours. It’s well built but things take a beating and we are continuously maintaining the systems. We did have the need for another part to be sent to us for our wind generator. The company was in Portugal and they agreed to send us a new unit until we arrived in the US to return the broken unit, for the price of shipping! Our only problem was that none of the major shipping companies came to Luperon, but they did to Puerto Plata, just a 30 min drive east.  Day 4 Luperon we find ourselves taking a motor scooter, NOT a motorcycle 30 miles off the coast through the coastal mountains to Puerto Plata to find a company that will accept shipping. We thought it would be an adventure and great sightseeing tour. We were warned to watch out for the trucks. We later learned the highest cause of death of Gringos in DR is driving motor scooter!!! We got to see some of the landscape that was used in the movie Jurassic Park. The route was littered with several fruit and vegetable road stands. We arrived in rain to Puerto Plata admits thousands of motor scooters driving well over reasonable speed. We stopped a few times, negotiated the language to finally find a Fed Ex office. We took time for lunch and returned on the same back country roads for Luperon…..in the rain.

We did a few hikes locally to beautiful beaches on the Atlantic, found an abandoned resort, walked alongside dairy cows and mules roaming the roadsides. We hiked along the cliffs of the DR to watch blow holes, enormous crashing waves, and find caves carved into the island. In order to obtain WIFI, we found a small bar/ restaurant that would accommodate our needs. It was convenient to ride the dinghy less than 5 minutes to this destination, order a few Presidente beers and log on. We were usually accompanied by several other cruisers doing the same. We got to know 4 other boats anchored up ther also waiting for weather to proceed to Puerto Rico. Our evenings consisted of in depth discussions of the weather we needed to make the Mona Passage crossing to Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic, which  is not usually an easy task. We had spent a lot of our prep time int the last year loooking at approaches to making the 250 mile crossing. It can be fraught with currents, cross winds, rain and high winded squalls, all of which certainly add to the adventure, but also the peril. We had seen a window of VERY calm weather coming up and  all 4 boats ready to go.  We decided that the day following the retrieval of our wind generator part and provisioning in Puerto Plata ( via automobile) would be departure day. There was excitement that night before as we gathered for pizza and libations to discuss the journey. We needed to check out of the country first thing in the morning to get leaving papers……..we hoped that would be easy. 

Hang in there….Luperon departure and Mona Passage is next, what an adventure!

It’s one of my shifts during our 48 hour sail from the west shore of Long Island in the Bahamas to the country of Turks and Caicos. We left at 0830 and sailed through the night. We have night sailed before, but on this one it is different. We continue a slow and steady progression farther East and South to reach the Caribbean Sea and its chain of tropical islands. Tonight we are blessed with clear skies and a waxing moon that came up mid day which always means that at some point thought the night it will get very dark as she sets, before the light of day reappears. There is a long cast of moonlight on the water leading from the starboard aft. Its shape changes with the movement of the undulating swells which you can clearly see with all the ambient light. We know these liquid souls are like small hills of water that move around the earth as remnants of old storms 100s and 1000s of miles away. (Thank goodness!) It is like looking at a barren field that stretches endlessly. 

We saw the last of “terra firma” passing Mayaguana Island at dusk tonite and will not view land until morning. Tonight there is no boat traffic. ( We usually see 1-2 tankers, cruise ships, or barges on an overnight sail…the reason for keeping at least one person on watch, besides to monitor the navigation). We are in a part of the North Atlantic Sea in the very SE part of the Bahamas that is not a main route for commerce. There are stars which seem muted by the bright light of the moon, but they soon show their extreme radiance after the moon sets and this turns the night into a literary a ‘starry starry night”. The air is moist and the winds are very light. The sails were taken down at sunset today because the were just like sheets in the breeze, flapping and flailing refusing to fill with the lightest of wind. We must run the engine tonight , however, to propel us on to the next port by morning. It will be those hours we use to aid daylight navigation through shallow waters strewn with coral heads. So admidst the drone of the diesel there is the rush of water heard from the stern. It is quite mesmerizing in the cockpit as the gentle rock and roll of the boat moving over the swells through the water incites the slightest bit of somnolence. (Quite unlike the previous night with 12-17 knot winds where we were cruising at 6 knots over 3-4 ft swells at times.) The radio is also quiet as we are out of range from many boats and most civilization.

My watch duties are simple tonight. The navigation is straight forward as there is little wind or current to set us off course. A cup of tea is a welcome bonus and an easy task under theses mild conditions. We are fortunate to have state of the art electronics and chart screens to help safely carve our journey through these waters whatever the conditions. We read about each destination and the stories of ships or other craft trying to find their way only to end up on the rocks or sand, so we maintain a careful watch however advanced our gadgetry.

As my shift is ending the moon is moving off to the horizon, the reflection on the ocean water becomes narrower and almost takes on an orange tint, until the moon sets. The multitude of stars overhead now become visible and share their own light into the night. As I scan the horizon there is less and less distinction between land and sea. The eyes strain to make some perception of depth out of the liquid landscape. I can pick out a hint of light in the distance as we make the distant approach to our next landing. The almost unreal sparkling fluorescence of the bioluminescence is now evident as Lost Loon makes her wake and disturbs the water. There is comfort even in the dark, knowing that only 6 hours will elapse until the light will begin to fill in from the East as we make arrival in Providenciales, Caicos. 

Thank you for reading! 

Leave me comments, questions…advice. Love hearing from everyone!

Next post….Life in Luperon!!

Christmas in the Bahamas….
(I’m catching up)
Sitting on the boat at Sapodilla Bay in the Turks And Caicos…found a free WIFI signal…cant post pics, but will get some ASAP!!!

It has crept up on us here. We are not spending our weekends decorating, going to parties, picking out a Christmas tree, or trudging through the snow or slush to get the right Christmas gifts. We are only slightly aware of the holiday because of the calendar and when we go into town, there are a few decorations about Georgetown. What is very strange is walking into a store or passing one that is playing Christmas music. My brain has made a very solid connection with that music and all the activities we are not doing. We instead are fixing a broken outboard, cleaning the anchor windlass, polishing chrome stanchions, and trying to dry clothing in the wind that got soaked from yesterdays downpour. We throw in a beach excursion, hike to Stocking Island Monument (163 verticle feet!), and a swim ashore to round out the day, but none of the typical Christmas fare we have been so used to for the last 50 some years. There are no big department stores having sales on Keurigs or Christmas wrap. There is no waiting for a parking space at the mall. There is no worry about the Christmas Eve menu. (Ok, I will admit that before leaving Wisconsin I secretly stashed away 2 strings of white twinkle lights that I managed to get strung on the bow of the boat!). There are no regrets, it is just SO different. Christmas has just come very simply this year.

We met a couple of friends a couple of weeks back at an anchorage north of here. Diego and Marina. He is an experienced sailor from his home near Lake Como in Italy and she if from Brazil and has joined him for a trip to the Pacific as a journalist. We kept in touch on our travels south and find ourselves anchored right next to each other here in Georgetown. We have decided that we should have Christmas together, and after they kindly made us dinner, Mike and I will reciprocate. There is somewhat of a tradition of making homemade ravioli for Christmas dinner in our family and that is our plan. It means finding the key ingredients at a couple different markets (via scooter excursion) on these islands, but we were successful.

By 3 PM on Christmas Eve, outboard motor parts were put away and we were full of flour and dough creating our little ravioli pillows! With sauce completed and a fresh loaf of bread we had a great meal with good sailing friends.
Christmas Day. Well, there are no presents to open. We have decided that our gift is this awesome experience we wake to daily. We hiked back up to the monument in the early morning (where we secretly found out that the WIFI signal is awesome and the view incredibly spectacular, to make a few WIFI calls to our family!) We spent the afternoon at a cruisers potluck on volleyball beach where met some of our neighbors in the anchorage and new sailing friends from all parts of the US and Canada. We played in the water with the stingrays, relaxed, shared stories of sailing adventures, discussed the latest broken equipment and thoroughly enjoyed each others company.
It is a different life, but one we have imagined and planned for over the last few years. We feel incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity to explore our dreams. I would also say to anyone with a dream …nuture it, save for it, visualize it and continually to plan for it. Don’t give up on dreams, for they keep us young and focused in life.
Merry (Belated ) Christmas!

The catch up.. so this will be long

I have some catching up to do on my blog. I have resorted to dating our travels and hope to get you up to speed on where we have come and where we are now…..Georgetown, Exumas!!! (and where we may be put for about a week).

9 December , 2016 Great Guana Cay, Black Point Settlement

We are sitting in boat’s cabin listening to the wind blow at 20-23 knots. It whistles through the halyards (ropes for all the sails), whirs with the wind generator (J), and hums around the mast. The boat rocks a bit  to starboard and port.  This is the first “norther” we are experiencing. That is, a very strong cold front, that has dipped far south from the Great Lakes to the Bahamas, which only occurs in the Winter.

It is cause to stay put, waves and wind in open water could prove to be quite large and challenging.  Oh, I must say that “winter” is relative as we sit in shorts and t-shirts with the relative temp at 75. We have listened to weather on SSB (single side band/HAM) every morning for the last 5 days predicting this and have positioned ourselves in an anchorage where we hope to have less effect from the east-northeast strong winds. We do expect this to last for 48-72 hours. This will prevent us from moving on further South, as our departure would be on the ocean side of the island exposing us to high winds and some predictably high swells.  (This will be come a pattern now for us, waiting for weather…in paradise).  And this is why we made a point to download and save movies onto our computers, brought 60# of novels and guidebooks.

Two days ago we were at Highborne Cay. A beautiful location for the day. There was a beach to the East and of course endless water to the West…. We were accompanied by other sail and motor yachts of extremely varying sizes (some quite enormous, from all ports of call: Canada, St Louis, MO, and UK). After anchoring that afternoon, we had enough time to venture offshore snorkeling a bit and find a great reef filled with fishes and corals in all forms. It was delightful to spend an hour swimming and enjoying the underwater scenery. Mike did find a grouper that could have been dinner, but he was also being eye-up by a few barracuda (the grouper not Mike!), so he left him alone.

PIGS

On our travels further southeast, we were in an anchorage just about 7 miles north of here yesterday, Big Majors Spot where the water was just as turquoise and the beaches as white. ( I have commented on several occasions that it is like sailing in a swimming pool..until you see the waters of the Bahamas you can’t imagine the clarity and color!) We were aware of the fact that on one of the beaches there are pigs roaming. (we had seen YouTube videos of this ) They come out of the bush when they know there are visitors who will feed them.  We happened to find the right beach about 4pm and many cruisers and tourists were there feeding the pigs: fruits and beer. Yes, BEER. And Yes, PIGS! Those pigs held up their snouts and guzzled from the bottle like some college freshman! One guy told me he was here the day before and got his foot stepped on, pretty painful. I didn’t let them get that close. We watched as a group of piglets came out of the bush, grunting and squealing. How surreal! We are how many thousands of miles from continental farmland and find pigs on the beach???!!!

Not to mention the rooster, which incidentally decided that at sunset he would crow until dark…along with the mornings. We had a quiet night, as we had for 2 nights in anticipation of the approaching cold front.

We have settled into somewhat of a routine on board. I have an alarm set for 6:25 so I can listen to the 6:30 weather report for the Bahamas. I transcribe the info so we can evaluate for our days sailing or motoring. Coffee is a priority every morning. Following which we proceed to weigh anchor. For the longest time, Mike was at the wheel and I picked up anchor, and then had to get him to hoist the anchor to its bedding on deck. We have since found out that I can navigate to the anchor, and have him hoist much easier and we are more efficient that way. We usually decide our destination that morning after the weather report and mark waypoints on the electronic maps. The decision to raise sails is dependent on the wind velocity and direction. There is also the possibility to use the sails to enhance our speed with the motor, should we encounter light winds. During the travel one of us is responsible for navigating and watching for other vessels while the other may undertake a task. Today we spent time polishing the chrome, and reorganizing the freezer. We look forward to anchoring, which today was early. Once we know we have a good hold in the sand, one of us usually heads in the water to check the anchor( followed by the other who is just as warm on deck, and ready to jump in). Today we spent more time than usually checking our anchor scope to make sure that we have a good hold in the sand and that we have enough anchor chain out to hold us if we get expected gale force gusts.

10 December

We anchored off of Great Guana Cay, in the middle Exumas. As we needed gasoline for the dinghy we headed into the little town of Black Point. We found none. We did get drinking water, to top off our gallon jugs and found a bit if WIFI at Lorraines Café (the first in a week) and dropped off our laundry with Lorraine’s mother , who lives behind the café. She bakes bread and does laundry. It is a bit cheaper to have it done than to pay the coin-operated machines, plus it adds to the economy of the little community.  We download weather maps and make quick contact with some family!

As the days get shorter, we try to get back to the boat by sunset and then have a simple dinner (tonight ceviche from walleye we brought from Lake Vermilion), clean up, read or work on the next days navigation plan, and with dark coming at 5: 45 we are usually ready for bed by 9 pm. We recheck the anchor holding and lights out.

The wind is still whistling ….wind velocity:   sustained 23 kn.  (It will prove to be a noisy night, but we are thankful for no squalls/thunderstorms) …yet.

We have come farther and sailed more days on Lost Loon than we have done before (day 12…seems like forever ago when we left Amery!). We are comforted in her ability and look forward to many more days ahead.

11 December …..Training Day

The winds are moderate and skies are clear. We decide to try to anchor further south in possibly a secluded anchorage along Great Guana, but find that the protection from winds is not as adequate as at Black Point. We did anchor briefly, explore a beautiful beach and relax a bit alone. On our return, we were determined to teach ourselves a sailing lesson. We were headed downwind with both the main and the jib flying nicely until the wind shifted and we had our jib so messed up around the furler . It was crazy for several minutes as the wind continued to build. We successfully got the thing wrapped correctly (without tearing anything) and quietly sailed under reefed main into the harbor to our previous anchor spot like nothing had happened. We did finish our hike off the opposite side of the island and watched huge waves break on beautiful cliffs

It is Sunday and that is as we recall in our land life, football day. We returned to Lorraine’s Café for more WIFI and found that the locals were watching the Green Bay Packers. The bartender says “I like Aaron Rodgers, “with a big smile and we go on to discuss the fate of some of the NFL teams for the year with the other patrons. It was good to get a taste of home. We also received photos from Chris and Jenni of the snow fall in Minnesota. Not really missing that.

12 December 2016

We are at anchor tonight off Cave Cay with nearly a full moon. This is in position for us to leave the Bahama Banks and head to more Atlantic waters of Exuma Sound. Our next major location, hopefully in 2 days will be Georgetown, on Great Exuma Cay.  We continue to island hop our way as far East and south as we go. We have had a few days of winds out of the north and now the southeast that have slowed us down a bit.

We left this morning from Black Point after the bread was baked and travelled in choppy seas, but manageable winds still on the nose a bit. We found an anchorage that is empty and head out to explore another close beach. We find turtles feeding in shallow grassy spots and a cool grotto that overhangs the water.

GROTTO PHOTO

13 December ……Seafood!

After our morning chores,  (cleaning the salt and the task of taking apart and cleaning the Windlass, the winch that deploys and retrieves our 25 KG anchor) we decide to venture out for spearfishing and snorkeling. I had made a long swim to shore before lunch and was comfortable operating the dinghy while Mike fished. We found some random coral heads with a small fish population. Against a 1-2 knot current, Mike successfully found and retrieved a lobster and small grouper! We were excited for our surf and turf dinner that night.  We had a very well stocked freezer and needed to continue to work our way through that food but excited to be able to live off (or at least taste from)  the sea. We had brought venison, chickens, and some beef knowing that the prices would be expensive.

14 December …On to Georgetown!

The morning is cloudy, winds are light and variable. We head out the Galliot Cut for Exuma Sound, deeper waters and destination Georgetown about 35 miles. As soond as we lose depth on the instruments, Mike knows its time to fish. He puts out one rod and a handline. We set out the sails to assist in our motoring effort.

We watch as the seas begin to fill with sail and motorboats headed in the same direction. ..

Long about 935 there is a whining of the fishing rod.. FISH ON! The boat is put in neutral and the reel spins off a quick mile of line. Mike comments…”we have a good one” as he takes hold of the rod it surges and there is more line taken. Did our fish just get eaten by a bigger one? Moby? It takes everything Mike has to hang onto the rod, there is little reeling that takes place for 5 minutes and then the work begins. I begin filming and we are there 35 minutes as we think the fish is closer to the bottom of the boat, the rod jerks and the fish is GONE! With the successful purple lure as well! Just not fair! We put the boat in gear and continue our travels, dejected, and a bit exhausted (Mike). We are lucky to watch dolphin ( the edible ones, Mahi) skipping across the water for their lunch, but cannot intercept even one.

We follow the prescribed course for entering Elizabeth Harbor , Georgetown by mid afternoon and take anchor as other boats as well take their spots for the evening and possibly the week. We anticipate being here more than just a couple of days as the winds will be in the high 20s and gusting 30-35 kn. over 3-4 days. This is a lively community with lots of other cruisers who get together for different events on the island. There are folks who just make it here for the winter and stay.

Hopeful to do some hiking, snorkeling, and of course catch up on boat maintenance while we are here. As I write the last of this VERY LONG blog, we have cruisers coming in by the 2’s setting anchor to brace for the forthcoming prolonged cold front. No we won’t have snow, maybe showers, but we will manage with a bit of wind for a few days. We are in no hurry. We enjoy each day, make plans , change them with the weather.

We made arrival and landfall at Meeks Patch, outside Spanish Wells, an anchorage in the northern part of Eleuthera of the Bahamas. We had intended on making a stop in the Berry islands, but we had such excellent weather we continued on another 70 miles or so (after our first 24) to position ourselves a bit further east.  They say in order to get south in the Caribbean you must continue East in “good weather”. This is because the trade winds (known as “the trades” and the prevailing winds in this part of the Atlantic) typically come out of the east or southeast.  And if that is the direction you are sailing, the wind is on the nose and it becomes most difficult to fill the sails. So to get East sailing you need to have a south or north wind. Well we actually had both, a south wind for a while and as a new weather system approached during the day we found some nice northeast wind to fill the sails for a while.

All the cruising guidebooks explain that one should make landfall during the daytime hours with some light overhead to watch for shifting sands and coral. What fun is that? Were here for the adventure right? We knew when we made our decision to head past the Berrys that we would not make a daylight landfall. We, of course, arrived by 8 pm with the only light from stars millions of miles away.  I positioned myself at the bow with our high-powered light shining for shoaling or obstacles. We followed the deep-water channels and found our anchorage.  This lie just outside of Spanish Wells, where we needed to clear customs. Anchoring in the dark can be a challenge: you can’t see more than the surface usually,  and communication from the bow person to the captain is more difficult as visuals are dimished. After spending a few minutes untangling the anchor that had managed to tie itself in a few knots in the locker, we were anchoredWe had now cruised for over 36 hours. We had slept on and off in shifts, but you usually don’t get the good sleep in 2-3 hour shifts.

At 9:30 pm, we found the ocean water a refreshing 85 degrees, perfect way to end a passage.

We were so fortunate to have some excellent weather since leaving Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday morning. We woke early to get the first weather reports, make the coffee, and hoist the anchor. We left Santa Rosa in Pompano at 0700 as the light was filling in from the East. We had 4 bridges to traverse before we were out to open ocean, the first 3 were easy and the fourth we missed by just 5 minutes. We were greeted at this bridge by some incredibly enormous yachts, other sailboats, and sportfishing outfits all headed out to the big water.  There are navigation rules as to what type of vessel has precedence or the right-of way on the water, it is usually based on size and whether you are running a motor or if you are actually performing some type of work on the waterway (like fishing or dredging). We are a 40 ft sailboat, motoring, so just about every other boat took precedence over us at the SE 17^th Street Bridge, our last to conquer. We were not only outsized but outnumbered as well. So, at about 9:25 on this Wednesday morning we had several 100 ft cruisers, some sailboats in our size range  some larger and even smaller, and numerous fishing boats waiting for the 9:30 bridge opening. It was like the geldings preparing at the gates for the Kentucky Derby. Boats were jockeying here and there. The VHF radio was active with boats calling the bridge tender to claim their stake on this opening.

We made it through easily, letting the big boys head out for their trophies and we cruised of out of US territory excited to sail.

Our first job at hand was to get through the Gulf Stream. The trick is to position one’s boat with southeast heading hoping to land just at the right spot east and work the current heading North. We did just that! With a 60 mile crossing we made it motoring in 12 hours. That put us on the Banks of the Bahamas, where the ocean rises from several thousand feet to just nearly 60 or less. We arrived here at about dusk and watched the sun set on day one of our offshore voyage. By this time we were ready to shut off the motor as the winds were I made radio contact with the maritime mobile ham network 14.300 to give a position and safety report (anyone can find us by checking out 14.300.net. There is menu item for vessel locations or check-ins and I do plan to call in when we are offshore and report a position), and we made dinner.

Since then we have had an awesome stay. We moved from out anchorage to a dock in town. Probably not an idea or the most quiet situation, but FREE! Situated by the local coffee spot and close to WIFI.  We checked into customs on Saturday. The local T-shirt shop had to call the customs officer to clear us in. The gentleman was nice and after about 6 pages and $300. we were legal in the Bahamas.  We ventured out to find a GOPRO SD card and walk the most beautiful beach. We stopped at the Snack Bar for conch chowder and a Wahoo wrap. We had been almost 24 hours with only a sandwich, so starved. Since then we moved the boat to a quiet anchorage with a private beach. We hiked and swam for the first time.

Today is December 5^th, really 20 days until Christmas? The locals are playing Christmas songs at the grocery and passing the auto shop. It is very strange to not have snow…cold weather, or to be considering a Christmas  Tree.

We fueled up and filled our water tanks back at the docks this morning. Spent the afternoon anchoring the boat off shore again, snorkeling about a mile off shore (videos to come once I figure out how to download them from the GOPRO). I did think I was going to get laundry done, but at the price of $6. Wash and $6. Dry, I can do this by hand. Were using WIFI at the Buddha bar having some conch salad. Heading back to the boat soon, days are short and were busy most of the day, bedtime comes early.

Until we find the next WIFI……keep us in your thoughts and intentions!

It is the night before our departure for the Bahamas and Caribbean. The anchorage here in Pompano is quiet, the sound of voices echo across the bay. Yes! There are Christmas lights that twinkle across the water. …I think back on Christmases and think of what we might be doing to prepare. The wind is calm (so far…we had 20-25 knot winds last night in West Palm Beach) . We have had some evening showers tonight with a temp of 77 degrees. There are amazingly….NO BUGS! I am, however, ready with the mosquito spray at the first sign.

We have had a beautiful 2 days traveling down the Intercoastal Waterway, making our trip South from Stuart , FL to position ourselves for a Gulf Stream Crossing tomorrow. We passed through 16 lift bridges today! (the whole ICW from Norfolk VA to Miami has about 80 opening/manned bridges!) As you travel this way, each bridge requires a radio call to request an opening. Most bridges plan to open on the hour or the half to best manage the city traffic. There were many boats travelling our way and passing at the same time through the bridges. It was like getting to Oz and having to make the great request to the bridge tender for him (or her!) to stop traffic and grant us passage.

At one point we were soooo close and yet due to the time the bridge closed as we arrived. This causes anywhere from a 15- 30 minute delay. It also irritates the Captain (Mike) who must now “hold” the boat in the wind and current in while we wait. For the most part we made good time covering 50 miles in about 8 hours. We made our 4:30 arrival just north of the Ft. Lauderdale exit in time to catch a good anchoring spot just off the ICW main thoroughfare.

We enjoyed Thanksgiving with some good friends in Punta Gorda this last weekend. We rented a car and headed from Stuart, where we left the boat in a marina. We spent part of the weekend looking at homes with our friends, did some biking, shopping at the local farmers market, and cooking turkey. Quite different from 90% of the Thanksgivings we have spent in the last 34 yrs together. We do miss being with our close family.

Upon return to Lost Loon on Sunday, we had planned on making our departure Monday morning, we had found however that our DC inverter was not working. We also realized that we needed some internet time to finalize a few things that we might not get to for several weeks. Mike worked on the inverter and called several reputable resources about how this might be set up on our boat. He was expecting a call back from someone that would have extensive knowledge about the unit, but never received the call. We decided that we would just have to manage without this and punt. Meanwhile, I had spent the day working with the Iridium Go satellite unit we have to download weather, contacted banks, and finished some emails. I am up every morning at 6:30 AM to listen to the SSB radio broadcast for weather daily, this lasts about 1 hour and through all the static try to transcribe the information we need to make decisions on sailing. By 6:15 pm, I was finished.

We decided (since we had turned in the rental car) to walk 2.5 miles to AutoZone for an inverter. We needed a way other than by USB to charge computers. (Such a problem Christopher Columbus DID NOT have!!!) 2.5 miles to return and one brief rain shower later we were exhausted. We made a quick dash to the marina showers and short dinner and by 9:30 we were lights out!

A very fast forward to Tuesday morning and we are ready to leave. We needed fuel and water. The dockmaster at the marina heard we had some “electrical problems” and had “just the guy”. He would send him over in a minute. (well 30-45 minutes later, we are organized and ready. Mike greeted the “chap” from New Zealand and began to describe the problem. He had a huge tool case, but asked first where the unit was. Mike opened the port side lazarette (storage compartment in the cockpit) , Mr. New Zealand reached down, pushed a tiny button and said, “there now go ahead and check it.” Oh man sure enough this was the 30 amp fuse that had blown, likely 4-5 days ago in St Marys when the power went off briefly. It was such a small thing…sitting right there,, didn’t even look like a fuse that had blown , right under our noses ( we had looked at that several times, but never put a finger on it). We apologized for our stupidity, laughed at ourselves, as did he and went about the task of leaving. We were at least happy that we gave the fella a funny story to tell at captains hour that evening.

So, it may be a while until we have WIFI to be able to post.

Our plans are to head through the Bahamas, Turk and Caicos, on to the Dominican Republic and then Puerto Rico before we hit the Windward and Leeward islands of the Caribbean. Continue to check back and keep us in your thoughts and yoga intentions!

So it’s finally time to write!!!!     

It has been a crazy 6 weeks. (or more)  We have had the estate sale, moved out our remaining possessions to a meager 10 x 24 storage unit, had a successful closing on our house, closed our 3 -season cabin in Minnesota, moved in with some awesome friends, vicariously lived through Hurricane Matthew, completed our last day of work, put a vehicle in storage (and still have one for sale), reorganized the items going to the boat (multiple times), hunted the last hunt on the Amery property, and said goodbye to friends and family our Golden Retriever, Riley, (who lived a long and happy 14 ½ year life). We have moved from complete chaos to somewhat organized chaos.

I would say that we have been busier in this time frame than ever before in our married lives.  We have come to appreciate just a few minutes of quiet and time to think (about next steps). 

Following the estate sale, we successfully paired down our belongings to a couple of beds, kitchen table, coffee table, a couple lamps, winter clothing, some bedding, fishing, hunting, sports gear, and some remaining keepsakes. With about a 5-week closing date hanging over our heads we proceeded to get these goods into some semblance of order and stored. So, every few days more stuff went into containers and boxes and these were labeled and toted to the storage unit. We worked on this evenings after work and the few remaining weekends we had. We simultaneously were setting aside all the goods to go to Lost Loon for our next life aboard Lost Loon, and put these in boxes and cartons. As the “last day in the house” approached we realized there were many more things to get in boxes. I think at one point we were sure someone was secretly bringing stuff into the house as it seemed to be endless. We systematically cleared the upper levels and basement, trying to corral everything to it’s final destination on the main level. I really have no idea how much stuff we donated and gave away those last days. I am thankful to a few family members (Chris and Dave) who drove away numerous times with “new” possessions. (I am certain many items also found their way distributed to other donation facilities).

Closing the house

However difficult it was to get all our possessions out of that house after 21 years, we were relieved by the final sight of cleanliness and felt an eagerness to soon move onto a new life comforted that this house would be secure with a good family. Following the walk-thru, the night before the closing, we moved in with some very good friends in Amery. Since we had 2 ½ weeks to work yet we needed to stay in the area, we were blessed to have friends that opened their house and their lives to us.

We attended the “closing ceremonies” on the house on a beautiful bright sunny Friday. We left with a little money in hand to take us to our next adventure. How different it was to realize we didn’t have a home, or even more so exciting to realize that a 40-ft, 400 or less square foot sailboat would be our home for the next 6-8 months!

We  our last few days in Amery, having dinner and get-togethers with friends, family and co-workers. I must say that my liver is surely glad that we were moving on.

We could begin the final project of weeding out what we had put aside for the Lost Loon journey. We had quite frankly just planned on taking too much. On that last morning of our departure, we left with our Suburban completely full of supplies and possessions we thought we couldn’t do without for the next 6 or so months afloat.

We left on our pilgrimage to see the family before our voyage on a cool bright Saturday morning.

We were headed for Illinois where Mike’s sisters and mother reside. We would then drive onto North Carolina to see my mom, brother and sister-in-law and our daughter , Kelsey. We spent almost a week with family as we headed to our Georgia destination. We enjoyed family dinners and spent time doing some final internet shopping for the boat on those stops. We truly didn’t think we had any more room for supplies and managed to eek out a few more inches of some favorite local foods from some incredible markets in the Rockford area.

Our destination was still ahead as we left the last family member in Fayetteville, but not without absolutely stuffing that Suburban even further with some loaned fishing equipment!! (Thank you , David)

Upon our arrival that late afternoon, Lost Loon was sitting pretty well. We had seen pictures of the boat after Hurricane Matthew, and all seemed well, butut it wasn’t until we opened her up and realized that she was in perfect condition….relief. We knew what we had to do now to get this vessel ready for Winter travel….

It’s been a long Summer , but the last several weeks have been busy. We have sold our house, quit our jobs, had the estate sale, and essentially managed to reduce our footprint to minimal belongings in order to move onto Lost Loon. The boat awaits or return in Georgia. Getting her bottom painted and hull polished for the intended journey through the Caribbean this winter.

There is an echo as we move through the house these last few weeks. There is more light, literally and figuratively.

There are remnants of the estate sale as we begin to package these things up for storage or donation. There is a new game we play trying to organize our present belongings into items for the boat, the storage or to take to the Minnesota cabin. We find a part or piece that is in a drawer or box and match it with its mate or like piece. The key is remembering where we last put it. There is also the difficulty with staying on task when so much needs organizing. I have spent 2-3 hours going through boxes of photos and elementary keepsakes, reading stories and poems written years ago about family trips, dogs and sports. I have laughed to tears on several occasions, as well as shed a few heartfelt ones.

There are more than 30 years of collectibles, clothing and just stuff. I have never considered myself a hoarder, as I am the one to purge the unnecessary quite often. But in the last several weeks have come to appreciate the lightness of eliminating the excess. How fun it was to buy crystal in Ireland 28 yrs ago, but however a remembrance, we have not used the glassware much. We have a chopper and blender of all sorts, because it was nice to have. Going forth, I just need something to grind my coffee.

Baskets. Ok, since Mike is keeping all his musky lures I’m keeping most of my basket collection. Holiday collectibles. When you have children there is a delight in decorating for the event. OK I will admit that I have attained quite the Christmas collection. I collected Santas, ornaments , and all sorts of dish ware. That was then….I have saved some precious items but the rest will go. Cookbooks. With the incredible data available on the internet I have relied less on cookbooks but, I thank all my friends and family for sustaining my desire to cook. I will now have to manage with a limited pantry on the sailboat and will have to invent my own recipes.

Finally , we have gone thru our wardrobes and eliminated those pieces of clothing we haven’t worn and probably won’t wear in the future. The shorts that looked good 2-3 yrs ago are no longer in style nor sensible for sailing. One should not need 8 pairs of sweatpants. The shirts and sweatshirts from all sorts of events and trips were fun, but I have gotten their use. I am hopeful that someone will enjoy one of the numerous Amery, Colorado, Methodist University, and BVI t-shirts and hats.

Since we are uncertain as to our disposition in 9 months so we have decided to limit the furniture we keep. We presently have a kitchen table and chairs, a couch, a few chairs, a bed, and couple of side tables. Of course we have lamps and other extraneous household items, but it limited. I can usually open the cabinet and grab for a teacup, I now have to remember which ones I’ve kept and where they now reside, temporarily. Many of the antiques are gone. They now have a new life. The dining room table that has hosted first birthday parties, “high school dinner parties”, anniversary dinners, many Christmases and Thanksgivings has a new home with a new family. The house we have called home for 20 yrs has witnessed many years of happiness: first day of kindergarten, first drivers licenses, first deer, many sports celebrations, prom, high school and and college graduations, and wedding preparations. We have experienced some very cold and snowy winters.

There have been some excellent vegetable gardens and successful local hunting. I think as we look back on the grand plan in bringing up the family in appreciation of living in the country when we bought the house in 1995, I would say we have managed to succeed in those intentions. So looking back, there are no misgivings about leaving now.

I finish this driving home from now closing the seasonal cabin in Minnesota, on Lake Vermilion. We were blessed with beautiful Fall colors and weather, a gorgeous sunset, and mirror calm waters. We even caught our last walleye of the season to have for dinner. The winter shutters are in place and the dock is up and out of the water. As we motor away the leaves are falling gently into the water as another season is well underway.

And so we return to Wisconsin to complete the final tasks of moving out of the Amery house, say goodbyes to patients and co-workers and friends, and family to move onto the boat in November. Which in itself will require a bit of clever organizing and work when we arrive back in Georgia.