Since the beginning of April, we have been heading northwest and this week, we have taken another step closer … to home. I pick up where Tom left off, with Thalia tied to the dock at Orchid Bay Marina on Great Guana Cay, one of the out-islands which separate the Atlantic Ocean from the Sea of Abaco in the Bahamas. The four of us and our two guests from San Francisco (Martin and Nancy) wait, somewhat patiently, for the poor weather to pass. All told, we spent two nights here and were lucky to get some breaks in the weather which allowed for walks around the island. It is a treat for the kids to be able to jump off the boat onto solid ground without the complexities of using a dinghy! Our youngest, at nine years old, seems to burn off their energy with less all-around anxiety when we are tied to a dock!
Chart – Approach to Savannah, GA
Holding out Hope Ep. 55
With enough time in Davis Harbor, Eleuthera to make our knotmeter grow weeds and stop working, it was time for us to shove off and move on! We left the marina early in the morning on Sunday, May 27th to take advantage of the high tide. This little marina had been our ‘any port in a storm’ haven and although it didn’t have a lot of amenities, we were glad to make its acquaintance. We knew we had many more miles to go, but a refreshing break without worries of dragging anchor or wet dinghy rides ashore was a real treat.
Chart – Eleuthera to Abaco, Bahamas
Central Bahamas Ep. 54
This week’s entry finds Thalia on the move from the Bahama’s “Outer Islands” to the central Bahamas, specifically Cat Island and then Eleuthera Island. We were feeling quite isolated and were eager to get closer to Great Abaco Island in the northern Bahamas so we can ensure our rendezvous with friends on June 1. We still have about 220 miles to go and plan to make it in a few hops in order to explore some of the islands along the way. Continue reading “Central Bahamas Ep. 54”
Chart – Grand Turk to Cat Island, Bahamas
Scooter Salvation Ep. 53
If they can measure aging from week to week, this has been one week that has tipped the scale towards convalescence sooner than nature intended! Does anyone know where Grecian Formula is available in bulk?! I guess we should have known this would not be easy, trying to put 800 miles under our keel from Puerto Rico to the northern Bahamas before the hurricane season officially started June 1st. But it wasn’t just the mileage that we had to conquer, it was the crazy navigation needed in these shallow and storm ridden Bahamian waters.
The Wild Life and the Wildlife Ep. 52
Having said good-bye to Tom’s father and step-mom yesterday evening, we got right to work this Saturday morning on moving Thalia along on her journey. May 5th was a busy day for us. Tom dropped me off on the dinghy dock early in the morning so I could drive the rental car back to the local airport and get a taxi back to the harbor. When I arrived back on the boat, Tom and the kids were nearly ready to get underway. We would move Thalia 50 miles west along the southern coast of Puerto Rico today. Both the wind and currents were in our favor and we had a great sail. The kids did school work after somewhat of a vacation while their grandparents were on board. It is always so difficult to get them back into the routine when it has been interrupted for a few days. How I sympathize with educators!
Chart – Saba to Puerto Rico
San Juan Ep. 51
If there’s anything close to New York City down here, it is San Juan… and I mean that in a positive way! We had thought St Martin was a huge, bustling metropolis, but San Juan blows everything else away. It is a massive sprawling city, and the purpose for the multitude of power plants on the southern coast clearly made sense now!
We rented a car for two days and, with my Dad and June, drove from Ponce into the San Juan area. It was reassuring to know that Karen had not lost her New York driving skills, as she blasted us down the expressway, honking at anyone going too slow in the fast lane – clearly her inner child was coming out!