Monthly Archives: May 2014

Pandora, Our Island in the Stream

It’s Wednesday morning and the beginning of our second day heading north in the middle of the Gulf Stream off of Florida, toward CT and home.  With the exception of a few hours yesterday morning after leaving Nassau, we have been blessed with favorable winds and have been able to sail much of the way.

A few minutes ago, it’s 10:00, I turned on the engine as the winds have gone a bit light and I also needed to be sure that I was able to get a good charge on the batteries.   While the solar panels keep things in good shape during the day, the batteries get quite a bit of user overnight.  Between the navigation equipment and radar, combined with the drain from the autopilot, the batteries were in need of a good charge today.  Yes, the solar panels would likely bring things up to snuff, I wanted to be sure that we have the batteries well topped up prior to evening and sunset. While the sun is adequate for keeping Pandora when we are on the go during the day and anchored at night, keeping her moving 24 hours a day is definitely a challenge to the batteries.

The winds are forecasted to be somewhat light, if from a favorable east/east southeast direction for the next few days, but today and Thursday will likely be a bit too light to really make time toward home.   Good thing we have a reliable engine.  However, we are expecting stronger winds overnight and tomorrow as well as strengthening winds on Thursday to keep us moving along, engine or not.
We are now in the middle of the Gulf Stream and this massive “salt water river” is giving us a three knot boost.  Imagine the amount of water being moved northward when you consider that the stream is miles wide and at least a mile deep.  That’s a massive amount of water and it’s moving north at the speed of a good energetic walk.

I have been given coordinates for the center of the stream by Chris Parker, our weather router, and will go from one waypoint to the next as we move northward.  With luck, we will be able to stay in the center of the stream where the current is strongest until we exit around Cape Hatteras.

In our first 24 hours the winds weren’t that strong but good enough to keep us moving well with only a few hours of motoring.  The log shows a total distance traveled as about 140 nautical miles.  When I took a ruler to the chart it showed nearly 160 miles but that doesn’t take into account favorable currents which put miles under our keel that the log doesn’t capture.   Whatever the distance covered, I’ll take it as we are making good time.

Last night boasted a half moon that stayed with us till around 03:00 and set dramatically, dark orange to the west.  In spite of the bright moon, we were treated to a wonderful display of stars capped off by quite a few meteors.  It takes several hours for your eyes to totally adapt to the dark and spending time aboard a darkened boat all night allows you to see things that you’d normally miss when exposed to artificial light at night.

From a wildlife standpoint, we have seen a few seabirds and plenty of flying fish skittering away from us as we moved along north, but little else.

I am hopeful that we will begin seeing dolphins as watching them dance around the boat is endlessly fascinating to me.
“Ok so you are now into day two.  So, how long is this run going to take Bob?”  Good question.  Thanks for asking.  So far, we have gone about 180 nautical miles out of a total of about 1,300 miles.   And, if we are able to go about 170 miles per day that suggests that we will be home by Tuesday or Wednesday after a week underway.

We had thought about stopping but opted to continue along as it will delay us by at least two days if we stop and spend a night somewhere.

Happily, the three of us, Jim, Rich and me, are getting along well and the trip is enjoyable.  They are both doing well in managing Pandora as we keep her moving day and night and happily, no bouts of seasickness so far.

Let’s hope that the favorable winds hold and even strengthen a bit to speed our trip.  Here’s to no broken gear too on our Pandora, our little island in the stream.

So far, so good and it’s a beautiful day.   Only about six more to go.  Fingers crossed.

On Our Way Home, Slowly…

It’s nearly noon on Tuesday and we are underway and about 15 miles out from Nassau.  It was unclear to me as I looked at the GRIB files this morning if it make more sense to leave today or to wait a day till the winds were a bit fresher.  Yes, the wind direction was favorable but not that strong today and yet I hate to just sit around in Nassau.  Besides, it’s entirely possible that we will actually run into unfavorable conditions later in the week up north if we wait in Nassau.  It’s very hard to get a good weather window that lasts an entire week.  So, with this in mind, we opted to leave.

Pandora needs about 10kts of apparent wind to move along at a respectable rate of speed and to wallow around with too little wind isn’t my cup of tea.  BTW, GRIBs are computer derived wind predictions overlaid on a chart that suggest the wind direction and strength for a few days out.  I can get these via my long range SSB radio or by cell when I am within range.  Of course, once we are more than 5 miles from shore there isn’t any cell coverage.  I also spoke with Chris Parker, our weather router, this morning and he agreed that while sailing, beginning on Wednesday, would likely be better, leaving a day later might lead to other weather problems later in the week.

It was my preference to get going today verses to wait another day and in spite of wind forecasts that suggested a bit better conditions on Wednesday.  I am hopeful that we will get a bit more wind later today but for now we are motor sailing with the engine ticking along at a low RPM along with the sails.  Fingers crossed that more wind will come soon.  If I have to motor for a few days we will be forced to stop for fuel instead of going the entire way without stopping.

Yesterday my crew, Rick and Jim joined me in Nassau. It took much of the day to get the boat ready including fuel and water along with laundry and grocery shopping.  I also took the dink off of the stern and stowed it on deck.  I don’t like to have the dink on the davits off shore as there is too much risk that it might come loose if the wind kicks up.  To have 250lbs of dink and motor thrashing around on the back of the boat could get dangerous.  Better safe than sorry.  Dink on board and tied down securely now.  Check!

I will be posting most every day as we make our way up the coast and will send perhaps one small photo along with the text to Brenda so she can put it to my blog.   We will also be “pushing the button” on our GPS transponder every four hours 24/7 so you can follow us on the site as we make our way north.   Just go to the “where’s Pandora” button on the site’s homepage to see our most recent position.

The big question is if we will have good wind to make the entire run without stopping or if we will have to duck in somewhere to wait for more favorable conditions or to wait for a front to pass.  So far, the winds seem to be barely adequate so it’s hard to say if we will stop or not. Of course, if the run were to take more than a week, we’d likely want to stop somewhere just to get a good night’s rest and perhaps pick up more fresh food.

Well, that’s about all I have to day for now.  Alas, no photo worth sharing so I guess that 1,000 words will have to make up for that.

Here’s looking forward to fair winds.  So far, fair but not enough.  Oh well…

Heading north. Any day now. Tuesday?

It’s Monday morning early and I woke up early to the sound of wind in the rigging.  We have been anchored here in Nassau harbor for a few days and enjoying the local sights.  A front came though yesterday, complete with squalls and clocking winds.  Fortunately, Nassau harbor is well protected so we were comfortable, rain and all.  It’s been fun being here with Brenda, Rob and Kandice as we enjoy our last few days together prior to their heading out and my run back to CT aboard Pandora.

Today I will get a car and drive them to the airport and pick up my crew, Jim and Rich, who are flying in to accompany me for the run north.

We don’t yet know if we will do he entire run in a single leg or if we will stop along the way.  Last spring we had a good weather window that lasted long enough to make the 1,000+ mile run back non-stop, and did it in six days.  That was quite fast, with near perfect conditions.  I doubt that I will be able to do it again that quickly.  Who knows, perhaps I’ll be lucky again.

I’ll speak with Chris Parker shortly and will have a better idea of when we should leave to catch the best winds to get us out of the Bahamas and into the Gulf Stream, the river of water that runs northeast along the east coast.  The strong current will give us a boost in speed as we make our way north.

While I am looking forward to the trip, I am always a bit nervous before a long run as when we are making a “blue water” trip and we will really on our own and far from land.  As you can imagine,  there is plenty that can go wrong so we have to be very well prepared.  Yes, we have all sorts of safety gear but being hundreds of miles from land carries risk so it’s best to be careful and even a bit worried.   To be casual is dangerous.  Best to be prepared.

I have done a lot over the years to be sure that Pandora is up to snuf and prepared for long voyages.  We have spares for a lot of our equipment and our safety gear is up to date.  We have an offshore liferaft as well as two different systems that we can use to summon help via sattelite from the Coastguard if needed.  Of course, that isn’t something to be taken lightly.

Well, enough of the “worry stuff” for now as there will be some terrific sailing ahead for the next week or so.  The winds are forecasted to be favorable beginning….

My plan is to keep this blog up to date with perhaps one photo each day via my SSB long distance radio.  Sending photos and text vis the SSB is very s-l-o-w, glacial actually so the files have to be small.  I’ll send the post materials to Brenda who will put them on my blog.  The SSB radio will also allow me to talk to the weather router each day and stay in touch with others through two SSB “nets”, one at 08:30 and the other at 17:00 each day.  I will check in and give position reports twice a day so other cruisers will know where we are.

I will also “push the button” every four hours on my SPOT GPS transponder, at the change of the watch, for the entire run so that you can “follow” along and see where we are at any given time, 24 hours a day.

When I say “watch” that means that there will be someone on deck at all times as we make our way north.  Customarily, we have one on deck at all times, two if it’s particularly windy or rough, with the remaining crew down below catching a bit of sleep.

Sleep is tough for me for the first day or so as I get used to the constant motion of the boat.  Yes, I have been aboard for the last four months but it’s very different to be “under way” around the clock verses being anchored knowing that we are safe and settled each night.  Obviously, being on the open ocean is a bit less “simple” and that takes a bit of getting used to.

Anyway, I am looking forward to getting underway.  However, before that happens, I have to get current crew safetly on their way home and new crew aboard as well as be sure that everything is ready aboard Pandora for the long run.

This morning we will move Pandora to a nearby marina so I can take on fuel and water as well as have convenient access to groceries etc.  As I write this it’s pretty windy so the idea of moving into a marina slip in this wind isn’t too exciting to me.  If Chris says that we should delay our departure a day or so, I’ll just stay here anchored and move to the marina when it’s more settled.

I don’t have any new photos to include here to illustrate this post, besides, I put something like 15 into yesterday’s post so I guess I’ll pull  something fitting from my photos from earlier in the year.

Yes, this one will do.   A rainbow that we saw the day we checked into the Bahamas in early February?  Yes, that seems appropriate as I make my way toward home and our own “pot of gold”.Here’s to a safe and speedy voyage.  Wish me luck.

Over Yonder, over the top… In the nicest possible way.

It’s Sunday morning and it’s been quite a while since I last posted.  Since Rob and Kandice arrived in Staniel Cay, we have spent time in the Exuma land and sea park, where there isn’t any cell coverage.  No cell, no posts.  Such as it is in the Bahamas.  And, I won’t even talk about how busy having them on board has kept us.  Alas, no posts.  Well, the wait is over… Here goes.

We are now back in Nassau to prepare for returning Pandora to the US and our home in CT.  Rob, Kandice and Brenda fly out of Nassau on Monday afternoon and my crew will arrive.   Details, details.

As my departure approaches, hopefully on Tuesday or Wednesday,  I am focused on catching a good weather window for our run north.  Fingers crossed.   Chris Parker, the weather router we use, seems to think that the coming week will be good.  I hope that we will have some wind for sailing as we don’t carry enough fuel to make the run under power the entire way.  This is a sailboat, after all.

While I am very excited about being home in CT again, I must say that I am a bit sad that our visit to the Bahamas is nearing an end.  However, it’s safe to say that I am ready to leave.  It’s been fun but it will be very nice to be able to enjoy the simplicity of being in a “land home” where things are easier.  And, you can’t beat New England weather in the summer.  My excitement about being home is tempered by the fact that there will be a very long “honey do” list of chores as we reopen the house and make the improvements, painting etc. that are needed.  When we left home four months ago we just shut the door and left.  While one of our neighbors has been keeping an eye on things, nothing of note has been done except to have oil deliveries made to keep the heat on.

Speaking of heat, it’s been really hot and sticky here for about the last month.  When we first arrived, the evenings were cool but now that summer is approaching…  They say that the year round temperature here only varies by about ten degrees but let me tell you, there’s a big difference between the high 70s and the 80s.

Oh well, enough whining as it’s nice to be able to split our time between of home and Pandora.  Not too shabby.

Well, speaking of “not too shabby”, our visit to Over Yonder Cay, earlier in the week, was about as “polished” as is possible.  Dr. Bosarge, the owner of Over Yonder Cay has done an absolutely remarkable job of creating an “oasis” from a rugged Bahamas island into an amazing family compound with every imaginable luxury.

Where do I begin?  On Monday, after Rob and Kandice arrived, we made our way from Staniel Cay the short ten miles to Over Yonder and were greeted by a very attentive staff including Ethan, the islands’ Director of Operations, and let me tell you there are a massive number of “operations” on the island,  as well as several others who helped us with our lines to tie up Pandora.  Pandora looked positively diminutive tied up to a dock designed for 200’ yachts.   Here’s my “crew” posing at the “boathouse”.  I should mention that there is a ramp on the other side of this building where the seaplanes arrive to bring folks to the island.  After a bit of work getting fenders in place and all lines secured we stepped onto the dock and were greeted by Darcy, the island steward, with glasses of strawberry lemonade served on a lovely platter garnished by flowers from the island’s gardens.   Amazing…

When was the last time someone on a dock greeted you with a cool drink on a platter with flowers?  Me?  Never, unless you count Over Yonder.  And, I am not talking about one of your buddies tossing you a cool one from the next slip.  Believe me, it was different.  Very classy.

And, that was just the beginning of a remarkable visit to Over Yonder Cay.

Where do I begin?  If nothing beyond the “lemonade moment” happened the visit would already be amazing but that was indeed “just the beginning”.

As soon as we were settled, and thirst quenched, Ethan announced that he would be back to escort us on a tour of the island.  And Ethan knows every inch of the island as he oversaw the construction from the beginning.  Darcy announced that towels had been set out on beach chairs for us that we could use following the tour.  Looks pretty inviting, and all for us.However, before we boarded the golf carts they had been provided for the tour, we would be joining her for lunch at the beachside pavillion.  Lunch?  What next?

But first, the tour…

The island has amazing plantings and what’s even more remarkable is that the buildings and all the infrastructure to support them have only been in place for three years.  I understand that everything on the island was completed in about 18 months.   Dr. Bosarge loves classical piano and legend has it that as the island was being prepared for its “official “opening the staff was preparing the newly arrived Steinway grand piano as guests arrived.  Alas, all set, just in time and just perfect.

Everywhere you look there are lovely spots to sit. There’s even a 9 hole golf course that’s so tough it would frustrate a scratch golfer. The “greens” are artificial but look like real turf.  They decided that keeping up with grass in this arid climate was over the top.   And, no dirt paths here.   Paved paths everywhere.  Millions of pounds of pavers brought in and placed perfectly from one end of the island to the other, and back…All of the island buildings, and there are three major guest buildings, along with plenty of other buildings “behind the curtain” that keep everything running, are powered and cooled by electricity from three huge wind turbines along with acres of solar panels.   They even have enough power, and it’s “green” to produce 20,000+ gallons of water per day.  And don’t forget the housing and feeding of 30, full time employees.  No, some don’t live on the island and commute from nearby islands, but there is housing for plenty of help.   When the island was under construction there were 100 full time workers on the job.  Given the complexity of the systems that service the island, plenty of help is needed.  They have two professionals, at least, who are responsible for the “power plant” including the solar and wind as well as three massive standby generators.  However, beyond being tested weekly, I understand that these generators almost never run.  Recall that it’s nearly always windy and sunny here in the Bahamas. As an aside, the three wind generators that tower over everything on the island are monitored by a company off-island 24/7.  Really remarkable.   And, all that power, and there’s plenty, let me tell you, is stored in a huge battery room with hundreds of tons of gel batteries.   

The computers that run all of this look like the controls for a utility.  Now wait, it IS a utility.When we visited the room where the batteries and computers that power the island I have to say that it reminded me of a scene from Jurassic Park.  Alas, no velociraptors.  I’ll bet that Ethan had heard that comparison before.

How about millions of pounds of batteries.  And this was just one of four rows.  I hope that they last a long time.  Imagine replacing these?   And, a single “cell” weights hundreds of pounds.Our tour, and we did all of this on board our golf carts, with Ethan at the helm,  also included, remarkably, a look inside the main house with it’s commanding views.   It was clear that a very talented group had designed the siting of the homes and every other detail of the island.   I can’t imagine being able to keep a handle on so many details, and there are an amazing number, let me tell you.  The way that everything tied together in this “oasis” reminded me of a piece of fine machinery, like a fine watch.  And, a very expensive watch with a lot of moving parts. 

How’s this for a “grand entrance”, the approach to the main house.Dr. Bosarge also has a remarkable collection of art and antiquities and everywhere you look there is something new to admire.   I can’t imagine how he managed to acquire all of it to fill such a massive home, but he did.  He also collects antique cannons, armor and firearms and there’s plenty to choose from.

There are also architectual “details” everywhere.  How about these chairs?  I wonder if anyone actually sits in them.  I did.How about this antique cannon overlooking the harbor?   I understand that Dr. Bosarge is inclined to fire cannons from the deck of his yacht Marie when the mood srikes.  I’ll bet that he is “inclined” to fire one at sunset from time to time.  It would certainly get more attention than blowing the conch, such as we do on Pandora.  Alas, no cannon on board Pandora.

The main house is sited on the highest point of the island with 360 views.  Here’s little Pandora in the harbor. Off of the master suite, and a suite it is, is a beautiful infinity pool that looks to the east.  There’s even a massive urn that burns a gas flame in the evening. Imagine a sunrise here…How about the master bath?  Between that and the attached dressing room,  It was probably larger than the footprint of our entire house.And this beautiful spiral staircase that goes from the changing room three stories up to an observation platform.  Commanding views all around.  From here you can keep an eye on those frustrated golfers, each hole more diabolical than the last.  And, of course, a veiw of those fabulous wind generators turning and turning. What a view of the dining room or should I say “one of the dining rooms”.  I’ll bet that there have been some really nice parties here.  And you’d expect them to be very nice as the island is rented for a cool $75,000 per day, seven day minimum.  Of course…It’s hard to believe that a place like this exists and that we were invited to visit.  My only regret is that Dr. Bosarge wasn’t there for us to meet.  That would have been great fun.

As we were leaving it was hard to believe that we had only been with this wonderful group for 24 hours.  We all posed for a photo, the pooch Diesel too.And, as if that weren’t enough, we were presented with a beautiful cocktail table book of Marie, the 180’ sailing yacht that I had written about nearly a year ago.  And, on top of that, T shirts for all and an Over Yonder Cay sailing cap for me.

Oh yeah, I closed my post last June with a wish wondering if we were to visit Over Yonder, that perhaps we’d be offered a rum punch.  Yup… that too, after our tour of this magnificent island.

Want to visit?  Have $525,000 to spend on a week’s vacation?  Check out the island website.  It can all be yours.  Before you decide that’s too much, it does include flights to and from the island via seaplane.  But, if you have to ask how much it costs, like me, you can’t afford it.

What’s left?  Well, I must get our host’s address so I can send him a note of thanks for such a wonderful visit to Over Yonder.  I guess it’s my turn to offer him an “an adult beverage” of his choosing.  We’ll have to see about that.

And, last but not least, the post that started it all last June.  What’s next?  I guess I owe the good doctor a rum punch.  It would only be fair.  Not over the top?  I think not.