Sail Pandora

It’s Monday morning, warm and sunny with light winds forecasted for the next few days.  We are anchored on the north side of Rose Island, a short distance from Nassau.  Yesterday morning we decided to leave Nassau for the short run with some friends to get a feel for transiting the shallow banks and coral reefs.  Unlike the States, the Bahamas don’t have very many navigation aids or buoys, actually, they have almost none, which makes it a very different sort of cruising.  In the states markers tell you what to avoid but here you only move when the visibility is good so you can see the obsructions.  The good news is that the water is impossibly clear, even in downtown Nassau, the largest city in the Bahamas.  To be moving along in 20′ of water and see the bottom as if the water is only a few feet deep, which it sometimes is, with reefs everywhere, can be very disconcerting.  Where we are anchored now it’s about 15′ and yet you can see the bottom as if it was only 3 feet deep.  In fact, last evening, after dark with the half moon,you could see the shadow of the dink clearly on the bottom.  It was very different than anything we have ever experienced.  In spite of having heard so much about the clear water, it’s amazing to see it first hand.

The water is so clear that you always take a visual check on your anchor after it’s down to be sure it’s well set. For example, yesterday when we anchored, a French Canadian from another boat anchored nearby took his dink out over our anchor and looked down to see if it was well set.  He put his head into his glass bottom bucket and gave me a high sign that all was well.  It was a very nice gesture and I appreciated his help.  When the water is calm boats almost seem to be floating on air.  That’s a lot different than our experiences up north.  Taking advantage of the clear water I dove on Pandora yet again to check if there was any evidence of damage from last summer’s grounding.  Happily, with the exception of the big bite in the front of the keel, all appears to be well.  Whew!!!

The weather for the next few days is forecasted to be very settled which is good as it will give us some more time to get used to moving through the shallow banks while having particularly good visibility.  The winds are expected to pick up into the 15-20 range by Wednesday night and then a bit higher into the 20-25 range from the E/NE by Thursday so we will want to be somewhere that’s well protected from the wind or at least the chop.

After our arrival yesterday to Rose Island we decided to head to the beach with our friends. The landing was our first on a beach with a surf and it was a unique experience to be sure.  We did our best to time our run for the final few yards to coincide with the the wave breaking on the beach so that the next wave would sweep us up onto dry sand.  Actually, that went pretty well but we did have to scramble out of the dink onto the beach at just the right time to avoid the next wave.  It was comical to see one of the other boats time things less well and have a wave come right over the transom of their dink and fill it half full of water and sand.  Oops.

On the way back out through the surf it was a different kettle of fish for us.  While we did our best to time our departure between waves, we were caught unawares and were swept back up the beach before we had made it even twenty feet.  We tried again and made it although in our haste to jump back aboard Brenda landed on her behind in a jumble of wet clothes and sand in the bow having missed the seat as she scrambled aboard. As you can imagine, there was plenty of laughter along with the indignity of it all. Brenda was a good sport and rinsed off when we got back to the boat and hung out her clothes to dry.  We weren’t alone having difficulty and friends had a similar experience getting off too and got plenty of sand and water in their dink.  Note to self, be sure to put the camera in the dry bag next time.

Speaking of surf, after our run from the beach yesterday, I went for my first snorkeling run with some friends.  While I have been snorkeling plenty of times over the years, it’s a much different feeling to do it off of your own boat.  The reefs at Rose were nice but not in particularly great shape.  There were plenty of fish but not a lot of healthy coral.  Perhaps that’s because it’s so close to Nassau.  I expect that conditions will improve as we head south.

Today we are heading to Allens Cay which is at the top of the Exumas chain and an easy 30 mile run from Nassau.  Our arrival in Allens will mark our entry into the more remote areas after the more populated islands of the northern Bahamas.  Allens will also put us within a reasonable distance of George Town, where we will be meeting up with the boys in a few weeks.  Allens Cay is about 100 miles from George Town and with nearly three weeks to make that distance we have plenty of time to enjoy spots along the way.  Heck, with nearly 1,800 miles under our keel on this trip, 100 miles seems like a day sail.

I can’t begin to describe the color of the water here, perhaps aquamarine is the closest color that I can think of.  An aquamarine stone that you sail over.  Clear and blue sparkling water.  Hard to imagine, actually.

Well, I have to say that it’s good to finally be here and I am very excited about making our way south.

On Thursday morning we picked up or anchor in Ft Lauderdale and headed out into the Gulf Stream.  The all important weather forecast calling for winds that would be convenient to sailing were forecast to be there so out we went. The forecast from Chris Parker called for SE/S winds at about 15kts that would be clocking around to the SW and ultimately to the North that evening and freshening to 20kts, ideal conditions for crossing the banks and running down to Nassau.  So, we left with fingers crossed.

The crossing went fine except that it was a bit rough with a wind driven chop from the South in the stream and as we were sailing on a close reach, we were romping up an over each wave as it came into our starboard quarter forward of the beam. We made good time and entered the banks in the early afternoon.  For a while we motor-sailed into a light wind on the banks but finally, after dark, the wind shifted abruptly to the north, so we could sail again, following a semi-dramatic squall as the forecasted cold front passed.

Around 02:00 on Friday we went through a particularly tricky cut, Northwest Passage, that wasn’t marked by any navigation aids (It is the Bahamas of course) and again into deep water again to Nassau. I have to say that going through a narrow spot that’s only about 1000′ wide, surrounded by “dangerous rocks” on both sides of the cut all the while in the pitch dark with no visibility beyond what I can see on the plotter.  There aren’t even any bouys to see when it’s light.  The charts call for marks but we were told that one was hit by a freighter a few years ago and has never been replaced.  It’s just so different in the Bahamas after coming from the US, where every buoy change is announced by the Coast Guard and you’d never find a major mark ignored for years at a time.

While the trip was a bit rougher than Brenda would have liked and she certainly wasn’t too enthusiastic about her first overnight passage, it all worked out just fine.  To be on the boat overnight the first time is disconcerting to be sure and I can still recall how it felt the first time I was out overnight many years ago.  Overall, we made the nearly 170 mile trip in good time and were able to sail about two thirds of the way. Best of all, after year of planning and dreaming, we are here and it is great.

Today the sun rose and streamed through puffy thunderheads to our east.  It was just magnificent.  You will just have to trust me on that given the whole no picture thing and all. Brenda is now sitting up in the cockpit in her jammies and enjoying a cup of latte that I made for her.  The picture is completed as she is knitting away on her current project.  Not bad to be outside looking at clear water on a sunny day on January 19th.  Yes?

Today we plan on making a short run with friends over to a nearby island where we are told the snorkeling is terrific and the sandy beaches made of powder soft sand.

No more Bahamas, here we come, now it’s Bahamas, WE’RE HERE!!!

Here in Ft Lauderdale for the last few days we have been very busy running around celebrating birthdays, Brenda’s that is, provisioning and doing last minute laundry.  It’s been a bit overwhelming but great fun.

It’s nearly 9pm on Wednesday evening and we are just finishing up getting Pandora ready to head out to cross to the Bahamas tomorrow.  The forecast seems to be about right although getting a fair bearing to cross the gulf stream and make it onto the banks may be a bit tough as the wind will be from the south.  In order to make what is in essence due east from Ft. Lauderdale, we have to head on a south east course which is south of our destination in order to compensate for the strong set to the north that we will experience as we cross the gulf stream current for the 50 miles to the banks.

The weather forecast suggests that the wind will be out of the SE/S in the morning, just barely south enough to provide a good direction for us to sail so we will be hard on the wind.    It seems that we will have to hold a course of something like 100 to 11o till we reach the banks. It is possible that the wind will begin to shift to the south west before we get to the banks which will help.  However, if we can’t make the needed course we plan on taking a more northerly route and go north of the banks entirely into the Northwest Providence Channel and then head south around the Berry Islands as the wind clocks to the north, which is supposed to do on Friday.   This is a bit further but will allow us to follow the clocking winds more easily and sail an more comfortable course.

Well, all of this weather stuff is a bit daunting as it is uncertain at best and will take us out over night, something that Brenda hasn’t done before.  However, I love sailing at night and am hopeful that it will go well for Brenda too.

Well, enough about the crossing for now.

Ft Lauderdale is unique in part as it’s the only city we have visited by boat where there is a dock for our dink that’s right near a major shopping mall.   In fact, when you pull up to the dock the mall, and it’s a big one, is just across the street.  Pretty funny to enter a mall pulling a wheel cart with groceries.  I felt like a bag lady.   Got any soda cans I can return for you?

If that’s not unique enough, there is plenty of wildlife there too.  How many malls can boast that they have their own native manatee population living right near by?  These are beautiful creatures.   Really big, beautiful creatures at that. How about iguanas?   This guy was about four feet long.  No, he wasn’t in a cage,  just keeping an eye on us from the other side of a fence closing off a vacant lot.   And, he’s not the only one there.   Speaking of wildlife?   How’s this for a sport?  He came right by us where we are anchored and blasted around us a few times.  This looks like just so much fun. The jet pack is attached to a motor that looks like a surf board.  He came right by and hammed for the camera. I should note that our friends Linda and Richard that had dinner with us the other night in Boca sent us photos of a banana tree that they have in their yard.  It’s a very special banana that Linda calls “Bob”.   So, why “Bob”, you ask?This is because it has grown from a small tree that I gave her when she worked in the same company that I was at.  It’s been nearly ten years since I gave it to her and when she moved to Florida she took it with her and planted it in her yard.   But wait, there’s more.  This banana, or should I say the banana from which “Bob” descended, was bought by me and Brenda when we were dating in high-school back in the early 70s.   Do the math, that’s a long time ago and Bob’s no spring chicken any more.  Hmm…

We kept the plant at home, then college and for over 20 years in our greenhouse.  We had to give up all of our plants when we  got rid of the greenhouse a few years ago. If you can become attached to a plant, this banana is one that meant a great deal to me and Brenda.   I can’t tell you how exciting it was to hear about “Bob” and to see these photos.  On top of all that, “Bob” produces hundreds of bananas each year, something that he never did for us.  It seems that he’s happy with Linda and Richard.   Perhaps some day I will be able to taste one.When Brenda and I purchased this plant way back when we never imagined that we would be aboard Pandora about to head out for this amazing journey.   Who knew what life would bring?

However, perhaps the greatest highlight for us here in Ft Lauderdale was a perfect celebration for Brenda’s birthday on Wednesday.  We enjoyed a great dinner out looking over the the water.  On top of that we visited friends for “sundowners” earlier in the evening and our hostess surprised Brenda with a cake.   Doesn’t Brenda look happy?  I have never met anyone who enjoys being a birthday girl more than her.  Happy Birthday Brenda!!!Wish us luck.   We hope to be able to continue to post regularly using WIFI from the Bahamas, which I hear is widely available.  

Stay tuned for more and please keep those cards and letters coming and wish us a fair crossing.

Yes, there’s more to come, way more.

It’s Sunday morning and we are sitting pretty in the heart of Boca Raton.  This place is just a perfect example of overstated elegance.  Can you say “mine is bigger than yours”?   It’s good to be back aboard after a great month at home in CT.

We arrived in Ft Pierce late on Wednesday evening after a long day of traveling and spent the next two days running around with our rental car to pick up last minute items that we need to spend the next four plus months aboard in the Bahamas.  As you can imagine, that’s a lot of stuff.  For example, we have on board nearly 20lbs of coffee. While there are some groceries available in the Bahamas, they cost about double what they cost here.  Given the amount of money we have put into groceries, I can’t even imagine spending double that amount.  How about $40-$50 per case for beer?   Makes you want to drink rum. That’s about the only thing that’s cheap over there.  Me, I’ll take that.

So, after two days of running around we were happy to shove off to begin moving south again on Saturday.  That day we only made about 20 miles and stopped exhausted for the night in Stuart in a really lovely harbor, Manatee Pocket.  We had a really nice dinner at a local eatery on the water.  Sitting outside on a deck in balmy January evening weather was certainly a contrast to Essex.  Well, I we did have to wear sweaters, but they were light weight.  I don’t want you to think that it was total Heaven.  Close, but not total Heaven given the sweater thing and all.

Here’s the sunrise that greeted me on Sunday.  Not a bad view to begin the day.After resting up we headed out early on Sunday to make our run to Boca Raton.  Actually, we weren’t sure where we were headed that day but as the day progressed we found out that our friends Melinda and Harry were aboard Sea Schell (their last name is Schell, get it?) in Boca so we thought that it would be fun to connect with them there.  I wouldn’t have thought it possible to make it all the way, nearly 60 miles in one day but we made it.

Normally, we could have easily made that sort of distance but in this case there was 20, count em, 20 bridges between us and our destination.  And nearly all of them had to open (on their own schedule) for us to pass.  And, I should add that if you are only a minute late they generally won’t hold it for you. Remember,  this is Florida, the home of transported New Yorkers.  Here a minute is a New York Minute and they ain’t foolin’.

To give some context to the number of bridges, in all of Georgia we only went through, actually under as they had 65′ clearance, a total of five.  Florida is certainly different than Georgia, that’s for sure.  And here, most are low so you have to time the openings with most opening only twice an hour.  Believe me, it’s tough to make the openings on schedule and several times I really had to put the peddle to the metal to make it in time.  I expect that my fuel consumption yesterday was higher than normal.

One thing that’s different here than other areas that we have visited on this trip is that folks with money, or at least those with money that want to show the world that they have money, are here in Florida.  There is just no end to the display of wealth.  Home after home line the waterway, each bigger than the last.  And, if a big home on the water isn’t enough, how about putting a 100’+ boat out in front just in case you want to spend a few days on the water.

When you get to Palm Beach you know that you are where the .001% hang out.  This is a yard that is host to the really big guys with one yacht larger than the next.  White is the color of choice it seems, but this grey one is a cut above with it’s own helicopter, color coordinated of course.How about this for classic grace?  What a beauty.  I’d live on this one.  Jeeves, please fetch me another latte, post quick. This “expedition yacht” looks like it can go nearly anywhere.  I wonder if it does or if the owner is too busy making money to spend time aboard.   Really a sharp looking yacht to my eye.It seems that not everything afloat is totally over the top here.  This must have been a tear down that wasn’t torn down.  Perhaps the deal was “it’s yours if you take it off of my property by the end of the month”.  Only his crane operator knows for sure.  Hmm…Speaking of cash and carry, I wonder if these guys were on the prowl or a dead hedge fund manager, perhaps one that had just taken a look at what his tax bill was going to be under Obama.  It was fun to go by the Breakers, an old time classic hotel built by Henry Flagler.   Brenda and I stayed there on business in a different lifetime.  It’s  spectacular place, let me tell you.   Even more opulent than Pandora, if you can believe it.Speaking of opulent, how about those hedges.  I’m thinking that it must take an army of workers to keep them in proper trim. All I can say is “nice patio”.At least there is some sanity here although not much.  I wonder if the owner of this cute little tug is at peace with having the most diminutive vessel in town?I just love lighthouses and this one that marks Jupiter Inlet is particularly nice. All and all, this next chapter of our voyage is getting off to a great start.  While yesterday was long and tiring given the need to constantly time the bridges and dodge boat traffic on a busy Sunday, we really enjoyed the day, 20 bridges and all.   Did I mention that we went through 2o bridges in a single day?  Trust me on this, that’s a LOT of bridges.

And, to cap off the day, we were able to enjoy a lovely dinner aboard with our old friends, Linda and Richard, that moved to Florida years ago.  Linda had worked in the same department that I did for many years and we hadn’t connected since the moved away.  They had never been on a boat before so meeting them on a dark dock to run them out in our dink was quite an experience, I am sure.  They must have really wondered what they were getting themselves into when they looked over the side of the dock to this little rubber  boat bobbing below.   “OMG, he’s going to take us out into the dark in that….?”  Good news, a wonderful evening with no loss of life.

Today, to Ft Lauderdale and it looks like we may have our weather window to cross over to the Bahamas as soon as this Thursday. Fingers crossed.

In the mean time, it’s a lovely sunny day with puffy clouds.  Oh, did I mention that the water temperature is just shy of 80?  Perhaps I’ll leave it at that for now.

It’s Saturday morning, only a few days untill we head back to Pandora and the second half of our journey.  We’ve been back in Essex for nearly a month and really enjoying time with family and friends.  In spite of our both catching colds as soon as we returned to Essex, we have had a great time.

Here is Essex CT it’s been quite cold and snowy with something like 6″ of snow hitting the ground just after Christmas.   If this early snow is any indication of what the winter will be like here, it’s going to be a long one.  I am sure glad that we are going to be enjoying “winter weather” of a different sort.  For me, it will be my warmest winter EVER and none too soon.

We have been working for some time on a provisioning list for when we return to Florida and it looks like all of our work preparing Pandora with all sorts of food prior to our departure from Essex and along the way has paid off as our provisions are in pretty good shape.  Yes we still need a variety of things such as perishables as well as the all important wine and beer but we are in pretty good shape.  Our last minute shopping list, while impressive by usual weekly shopping standards, is not that overwhelming.   I expect that we will be able to get everything on the list in the two days that we have allocated for shopping prior to shoving off.

I have also ordered a number of spare parts that I have shipped to my friend Keith’s home in Vero Beach but it seems that we are in pretty good shape to leave.

I key milestone coming up shortly after our return to Florida is Brenda’s birthday.  Make a note in your calendar, it’s January 15th as I am told that there is consideration being made to declare this a national holiday.  However, national holiday or not, Brenda would prefer to celebrate with our boys.  However with a planned rendezvous with them in George Town on February 9th, we have to get back to Pandora so as to allow plenty of time to make the crossing.  Wish me luck in making this birthday a memorable one for Brenda, but in a good way.  Who knows where we will be on the 15th so I will have to come up with a fun birthday celebration for her.  Thinking hard….

Speaking of crossing to the Bahamas.   The weather for crossing the Gulf Stream has been very much on my mind.  With the constant parade of cold fronts barreling down from the US, we have to time our departure carefully so as to make the trip as comfortable for the birthday girl as possible.    Another issue to consider is if we will just make a run for it when the weather is good and continue all the way down to Georgetown or to break it up into segments.  Me, I’d personally like to break up the trip if we can so that it is as fun as possible along the way.  I’d love to make a stop in Nassau on the way so that Brenda can enjoy a short visit there on our way further south.

In spite of the fact that we aren’t even in the Bahamas yet, I am beginning to make plans for getting Pandora back to RI in the Spring.  As I have some favorite crew that I enjoy spending time with, I have already made a few calls to put the thought in their heads for late May.

Well, think of us on Wednesday as we wing our way south to Florida.  It’s pretty funny to make the trip that took us three months in just a few hours buy plane.

As I think about the crossing here’s what I should try to avoid with that birthday girl. This would surely be a CLM )(career limiting move) Perhaps a crossing more like this would be preferred.    Hmm…

Fingers crossed…

Sorry to not be more communicative these days.  I have to say that I have had difficulty in coming up with ideas for posts while I am home.  When we are underway I find inspiration nearly every day when I see something that I just have to write about.  When I look out of the window here in Essex at the grey sky it’s harder.

Well, I am back with yet another titillating post .  It’s Friday morning and about ten days until we return to Pandora.  The weather here in Essex has certainly been different than what we should expect to enjoy in the Bahamas with a few inches of snow on Christmas day and overnight temperatures in the 20s.  Just for fun, and too torture myself, I checked the weather for Georgetown today and it’s  currently 75 verses the 25 here in Essex.   Hmm…  All’s not lost as it’s supposed to go up to 38 later today, an increase of OVER TEN DEGREES.  George Town will only go up by a mere five.  ” Stop whining.  Soon, Bob, you’ll be warm soon.”

Our “vacation” here in Essex has been great fun, setting aside the “cool” weather,  (yes, a big thing to set aside I realize) with a whirlwind of visits with family and friends.    Of particular note, yesterday we had our friends Chris and Pat over for lunch and had a great time.  Chris has been a great friend since high school and was the one that introduced me to sailing.  He also was the one that gave me the idea of going south as he did the same trip over ten years ago when he Pat and their then small children headed south for a year aboard.

It was fun to catch up and exchange experiences.  I have to say that I am still amazed that we are doing this and am very excited about heading back down to Pandora to begin the second half of “Bob and Brenda’s most excellent adventure”.

“Santa”, with a little help from my parents, brought me a really great waterproof case to hold my i-phone so that I can take videos and pictures underwater.  I, no make that Santa, spied a press release about it in one of the sailing magazines last month.  The case is made by a company “Watershot” and is the newest addition to their line of camera cases.  The case, which fits over my phone, is waterproof to 130′ (a depth that I don’t plan to test personally) which is certainly going to be plenty deep for my snorkeling exploits.  After years of sailing in Maine, being in water that is actually warm will be just so great.  I can’t wait.  There’s a certain symmetry to getting this from my parents as this blog is perhaps more about them “coming along” with us on this trip than anything else.

I also now have a copy of Chris Parker’s book on basic weather for the southeast US, Bahamas and Caribbean.   Chris is our weather router and a great resource for helping to keep us happy and safe.  We listen to Chris on the SSB radio when we are aboard and via a webcast here in Essex.   He has a very helpful website with many resources for clients.  His broadcasts begin at 06:oo every day except Sunday and run for about 3.5 hours with segments devoted to weather for different regions including the Caribbean, Bahamas, Gulf Stream and Atlantic.   Chris’s routine is to cover area weather for a particular region and then take calls from customers or what he calls “sponsoring vessels” so that he can give them a personalized forecast for their area and travel plans.   The book is an excellent companion piece designed to help his clients better understand what he is talking about it.    It’s written in a very conversational style so you can nearly hear Chris speaking while you read it.   As this is the first book I have ever read about weather, it’s a great primer.

Before I break I should include a video of a wreck of a landing craft that I dove on when I was in Nassau last May to help bring back The Abby.   

I tried to take a video myself when I was there but wasn’t able as the battery in my recorder wasn’t properly charged. Next time I will be sure to have my battery fully charged, for sure.

We will be in the Bahamas in about a month.  I am just sooo excited.  Checking again.  The temperature here in Essex?  It’s still 25 degrees.  Bahamas?  Warmer…

For several years prior to our departing on Pandora to make the run to Florida and winter in the Bahamas, Brenda and I spoke to everyone that we could find that had done the run down the ICW to get their thoughts on the trip.  How long should we allow for the trip?  Should we make the run inside all the way?  What about shopping for food?  Laundry?  What does it cost?  What were their must stop places?   As y0u would expect, there were just about as many different answers as there were those with an opinion.

With all of our questions and often conflicting answers, what’s a cruiser to do?

For now, I’ll tackle the issue of leaving the dock.

The only really universal answer that we heard was something like, JUST DO IT!!!  Yes, the advice from everyone was to cast those lines off and go.   As I used to say to my boys when their rooms needed to be picked up “now’s a good time”.   As we have often heard, “you are never any younger or any healthier” which gets you back to the “now” part.

As I look around at all of the non-cruiser folks we have met, many with much bigger boats than Pandora, often mortgaged to the hilt, it’s easy to see how they will never be able to make the plunge.  One basic truth is that the more “stuff” you have the harder it is to leave.  When we moved from NJ to CT we tossed a ton of stuff that we had accumulated over the years.  Unfortunately, we still have tons left.   Oh Well.   Someone once said that you spend the first 50 years accumulating stuff and the next 50 trying to get rid of it.  In our case, the accumulating part seems to be a lot easier than the disposing part.  Why is that?  However, I am still cautiously optimistic as we are only early in the second half (I hope).

So, I’ll set aside the issue of stuff for now.  Many of the folks that we met along the way, perhaps most of those that cruise, have chucked the shore-side attachments and moved aboard full time. We met plenty who have been living aboard for a decade or longer.   Some were taking a year off to see the sights with the plan of heading back to shore after they spent their cruising kitty or had used up all of the good will from a patient employer that granted them a leave of absence.   However, the vast majority have retired, many at a fairly early age.  Perhaps the choice of boat and home verses boat alone is often a matter of economics. It’s painful to pay all those bills for the shore home when you are afloat.

Having the ability to maintain a home and boat can work although it’s much more complicated than just tossing all your stuff and casting off the lines.  For me and Brenda, we will be splitting our time between Pandora and our home in Essex CT.  Of course, for us, the $64 question is what the balance of time will be between our time afloat and on the hard.   As is so often the case, the guy (me) in this equation wants to spend more time aboard.  However, I have learned that there is truth to the saying, “when the Queen is happy, there is peace in the kingdom”.  So…we will have a more reasonable split of shore verses afloat.   Got it?  Of course, getting a good definition of “reasonable” will likely take some time.   Patience is a good thing.

One common theme that we also observed in the couples that had been cruising together for years is that, as a rule, they seem to get along very well.   It’s possible to spend a two week vacation with someone that you don’t get along with that well but it’s entirely different kettle of fish to spend many months in a small space together if your thoughts turn dark too often.

Thinking of the short time folks, I am sure that you have seen, rather heard, guys screaming above the wind, at their partner up on the bow, when they are anchoring.  Those are probably not going to be long term cruiser types.   It seems to be a badge of honor among the cruisers we have met to use hand gestures,usually subtle, but not always, and never (well mostly never) raise their voices.

Another basic truth in cruising is that your biggest enemy is your calendar.  The ability to wait a day can make a huge difference in how enjoyable a trip is.  Motoring into 20kts on the nose is a lot different than sailing on a broad reach in the same breeze.  Happily, wind direction changes on nearly a daily basis so a flexible calendar makes for happy cruising.  I have some cruising friends who almost never sail with wind ahead of the beam.  They just wait a few days till the wind clocks around.  Yes, that’s the true cruiser or at least the mark of someone who’s not in a hurry.

Before I break, I’ll touch on a few of our favorite spots along the way.  We loved the Dismal Swamp Canal.  Meeting the ever friendly lockmaster Robert was a particularly special treat.  He was clear that he wanted us to bring him back a Conch shell to add to his already prodigious collection.   Here’s a link to my post about our experience with Robert. The canal’s primeval look and remoteness was a special treat.  We highly recommend it.  And, don’t forget to stop at the visitor’s center near the southern end of the canal. We also loved seeing the landscape change as we headed south including the live oaks that graced every place that we went.  Perhaps some of the best examples that we saw early on were in Charleston where we spent a week.  There area  few key things that cruisers look for, beyond other cruisers to hang out with.  These include access to groceries, laundry and great spots to dine.  There are plenty of spots that fit these criteria but perhaps none that fit the bill like Charleston.   Beyond having a great grocery, there is plenty to say about Charleston, that’s for sure.   We were most impressed with the gardens and many of the details of the architecture, especially if you like doorways.

We loved so many places along the way it’s hard to say which cities were the best.   It was also an eye opener to see how much of the ICW is still fairly wild with it’s barren remoteness. Perhaps this was most typified by the abandoned rice fields near Myrtle Beach and the meandering channels heading through Georgia.  I’d also recommend a visit to Brookgreen Gardens, as we did, although you will need to rent a car to get there.

Georgia is much maligned for it’s shoaling but we had not trouble because we were able to time our trip to coincide with rising tides.  With a 9 1/2 foot tide, there is plenty of water at least half of the time.  I do not recommend trying Georgia when the tide is low in the middle of the day.  As annoying as the winding channel can be, the views are worth it with soft grasses in every direction.  While some said that we should avoid GA at all costs, others said it was great, perhaps their favorite part of the trip.  We loved it.

I have to say that a list of favorites could go on and on but perhaps it’s best to leave it at that for now.  If you have considered doing this trip, I’d say that “now’s a good time”.   Just go.

Besides, where else could you be treated to sunsets and sunrises that rival those you can see when aboard?   It’s hard to say what was our favorite part of the trip.  Perhaps it’s less about the individual places that we visited, and more about the journey itself and such a journey it has been.

So, what has been our favorite part so far?  It’s hard to believe but I expect that the best is yet to come.  Bahamas?  I’m thinking that’s gonna be pretty good.

On December 11th, three months to the day and 1,500 NM south since our departure from Essex CT in September, we left Pandora near Vero Beach Florida to return home for the holidays.  When we tied up Pandora to the dock I was complaining about the near 100% humidity, still hot air and no-seeums buzzing all around.  now, it’s Saturday and feeling plenty cold here in Essex, a far cry from the semi-steamy sub-tropical Florida that we left earlier this week.

Funny how quickly I have become “soft” as we have followed the warmer weather south.  Me, I am happy to stay away from cold weather for ever.  Alas, this snow-bird, will have to settle for some snow, now and then so I’ll just have to make the best of it here in New England. I guess that I can tough it out as I have for the last 56 winters.  It will be great fun as the next few weeks will be a whirlwind of visits and parties with family and friends.  That should keep the blood from clotting completely.

For those who visit this site with some frequency, you may notice that I am repeating some of the information that you might have seen recently.  That’s because the server that supports this site crashed earlier in the week resulting in the loss of some content, my last post, that I  had added since the last backup.

The server is maintained by our son Christopher in his office in the department of physics at Columbia in Manhattan.  Oh well, so much for fail-safe redundant backup servers scattered around the globe.  Having said that, the up-time on Chris’s server “Cheeto” (not sure where that name came from), has served him well.  It seems that the hard drive crapped out in a cloud of acrid smoke and that was that.

Oh well, down but not out as Christopher had what I guess is now “son of Cheeto” up and running on a new, probably filched, computer later the same day.

Well, enough excuses.  Here’s some more information from the last post I made since leaving Pandora earlier this week in Florida.

As we headed south from Vero Beach, it was very clear that we were passing through some decidedly higher income zip-codes.  It seemed that each home was larger than the last, with some looking more like resorts than single family homes.   These mansions (forget micro mansions here) clearly have the best views.  No views of trailer parks and split levels to bother your view.  No way, no how.   Their views?  Beautiful marshes to enjoy from their infinity pools.  “Buffy, can you fetch me another mohito?  No, I can’t get it myself as it would be just dreadful if I missed the green flash?”.A nice side benefit of being facing west is the great sunsets, a real plus of being on the water.  This view is worth paying for.

It would seem that being energy efficient and resource stingy isn’t in high on the list of priorities for these owners.   Imagine how much water it takes to keep these lawns looking “golf course green”.  Well, I would expect that it’s about the same amount as you’d need for a golf course.  How about picking up some carbon offsets?  Better yet, how about a baker’s dozen Prius to make them feel better?  Not happening.  Probably not a lot of sweating the point as they tool around in their hulking SUVs.  Better yet, make that a hybrid SUV.  That’s the ticket.  Much, much better to get 14 mpg.  Yes, that’s perfect.

Funny, after years of feeling like the massive stucco homes in Bergen County, where we lived for some 20 years, looked just so nasty.  The whole stucco thing seems to work in Florida.  Perhaps it’s the warm weather lulling me into a stupor   If so, it’s a trance that I can get used to.   Stucco?  Bring it on.  Christmas lights on palms.  Yes! Yes!  A New England Christmas?  Ok, but after the new year I want to high tail it back to where the water isn’t hard unless you drop into off of a bridge at terminal velocity.

Interestingly, the ICW is so close to the ocean and gulf sream here that you can see the cloud banks that run up center of the stream.  It seems that when strong winds blow over the warm water of the gulf stream that the moisture that is evaporated causes massive thunderheads to grow.  You can clearly see them from along this part of the ICW.  Pretty impressive.  Pandora’s home for the next few weeks isn’t grand at all as I am a cheap Yank at heart.   The yard, clearly a working facility, is fine place to park a boat but not a place that you’d want to visit for fun.  No pool and tennis courts here.Lots of boats, however, of all descriptions.   Loads of sailboats waiting for their owners to relaunch them and head off for adventure.I found myself wondering if these boats were about to be launched for a winter of sailing south or if they had been hauled out at the end of the season.  I expect that it’s more like the prior given the nasty hurricanes that rip through this area off and on through the summer.  I did see plenty of boats held tight to the ground with long woven straps over their decks anchored to huge concrete blocks off of the bow and stern, a sure sign of insurance company influence.

One more thing.  Remember when Brenda and I were in Charleston earlier this fall and spied the Volvo racer Maserati at the docks checking in with customs?  They had just arrived there from a trans Atlantic run in preparation for an attempt to break the record for the fastest run from New York to San Francisco. They are now in NYC waiting for the weather window to begin their potentially record run.  Not a bad neighborhood.Not a lot in common between Pandora and Maserati I guess.  Oh well, I can at least take comfort in knowing that a SAGA 43 is more like a Volvo ocean racer than an Island Packet.  This is an Island Packet.  Well, to me it looks different.  “Sure Bob, if it makes you happy.  Go ahead and cling to that”.   It does have a plumb bow…  Come on, you HAVE to see the similarity.    

As I sit down to write, it’s just before 06:00 on Friday morning and still dark.  Brenda’s alarm went off a few minutes ago and she is really struggling to wake up.  A painful process, complete with more than a little bit of moaning at the tragedy of it all.  So, why, on board a cruising boat, would two retired folks set an alarm, you ask?  Well, today is a big day.  We will be enjoying the Gam in Melbourne FL with our friends from SSCA, the Seven Seas Cruising Association.  I signed us up to help with check-ins and they want us to be there by 07:30.  These days that seems pretty early.  It wasn’t that long ago when I was at work by that time every morning.   My, how times have changed for the crew of Pandora.  I do have to wonder who will show up that early.  Well, we will be among the first to find out.

Brenda and “early” aren’t two things that are generally described in the same sentence as 06:00 is not easy for Brenda, that’s for sure.  I guess that I have used up a few of my “good will points” with a dark beginning for her day today.

The SSCA is a great group with some 8,000 members that are focused on helping cruisers get the most out of their boats and time aboard.   When you ask one of them when it’s the right time to shove off they chant in unison, “JUST GO!”.  While many members of the group live aboard, there are plenty like us that spend a good portion of their year afloat and yet have a land base too.

Several times a year the group has events like the one that we are attending for the next few days and I am looking forward to it.  There will be experts talking about  topics like weather, safety, cruising destinations and other areas related spending time aboard.

In particular, we will have an opportunity to hear from Christ Parker, the weather router that we use.  As weather, and by extension Chris, whom we have never met, is such a big part of our life on the water.  We are particularly excited about hearing what he has to say.  This event, over the next three days, should be a great time.

Speaking of being in Melbourne, I have enjoyed seeing the local sights as I do in each area that we visit.  In particular, the water clarity is much better here so that you can see about 6-8′, which is a lot better than anything we have seen to date on our trip south.  Of course, when we get to the Bahamas the water will be REALLY CLEAR, but for now every little improvement is good.

Around the town dock, thousands of mullet congregate because the pilings and dock structure give them some cover and shade to hide in.  The fish in the schools run from a few inches to around one foot long.   I got a kick out of seeing so many of them in such a small space.  In this part of the school, these are all about a foot long.  This photo doesn’t really show how many there were but trust me when I say that there were plenty. In Florida, it seems that where there are fish, there are dolphins.  Unfortunately, this is the best shot that I could get as they move along really quickly. It was fun to see them work as a group to “corral” fish into a tight space so that they could dash through the group and snap them up for dinner.   One of these days I will get a good photo of one.  This is a distinct improvement as the last time I posted a “dolphin photo” it was nothing more than a swirl in the water, a sort of “where a dolphin used to be” photo.Also, there enjoying the pickings was a heron, standing about four feet tall.  A regal bird.  I was able to get within ten feet before he had had enough of me and flew off. There are quite a few boats anchored near us here for the GAM and it’s fun to see what sort of craft show up.   I was particularly interested in this boat and the funny boxes “perched” on top of the davits on the stern.   This spot on cruising boats is often occupied by solar panels, an important addition to any boat.  What ever it was, it must be important to take up such prime real estate   They looked a lot like cages to me and I couldn’t imagine what could be inside them.  Perhaps they enjoyed fresh poultry, I imagined, or that they were a member of some sort of satanic cult and needed to keep their sacrificial “offerings”on board.  So, what’s a curious cruiser to do?   How to solve the mystery?   Well, of course, just go say HI, and I did.It turns out that they were pet parrots.  I have seen plenty of boat pets but never parrots.  Having said that, I recall seeing pictures of pirates with a parrot perched on their shoulder so perhaps there is a sort of symmetry to all of this.  So, up I went and introduced myself.  Happily, I was invited aboard Equinox for a tour by Dave and Trish and had my first “aquatic parrot moment”.   I should note that Trish, the true parrot lover in the group, didn’t utter “ahoy matey” even once and if she had an eye patch, in the true pirate tradition, she wasn’t wearing it.  It seems that all parrot owners on the high seas aren’t all blood thirsty savages.  Oh well, another myth settled.Trish introduced me to Lucie (Lucifer when she is bad), a Eclectus and Dante, a Congo African Grey.  It seems that a key benefit to the outside cages, beyond giving their charges an excellent view of the area, is that when they (how can I put this delicately?) poop, it goes in the water instead of on the cabin sole.   Wait a minute.  They poop into the water?  What about avian marine sanitation devices?   I hope that the Environmental Police don’t catch “wind” of this.  Hmm…

So, how do parrots take to sailing?  I learned that Dante does fine but that Lucie suffers from the male de mare and throws up when the going gets rough.  I guess that makes sense, but it seemed pretty funny to me.  The idea of bird puke doesn’t seem that funny but hey, it’s funny in a “potty humor” sort of way.  Trish told me that Lucie does a bit better in the puking department when she sits on the dining table, yes the dining table, on her perch under way and that as the boat sways to the waves, Lucie sways back and forth on her perch staying perfectly still.  Yea, if I were a parrott I’d blow lunch doing that.   Oh, another funny thing is that Lucie, since enduring a traumatic hurricane season in 2004, plucks out her breast feathers so she is in a prepetual state of scruffiness. “OK, OK, I’ll go with you on that ^%$# boat but I am going to pull out all of my feathers if you insist”.   It’s sort of like picking your nails but looks a lot worse.

When the going gets rough they both can hang out in their “down below” cages.   So, cats, dogs, birds?   Which is the best to have on board?   Sounds complicated so I’ll leave it at that.  It would seem, from my tour of Equinox that parrots are not the simplest of all possible boat companions.

Oh yea, one more thing.  As everyone knows, parrots can imitate noises and these two are no exception.   Boating has it’s own set of fun sounds to mimic and these two have picked up some great ones.  How about the beeping that a truck makes when it goes in reverse?  Yea, that’s a good one and the travel lift operators at the marina do a double take when they hear it. Weather alarm on the VHF?  Check.   Some of the sounds that happen on Pandora are best not repeated but I’ll just have to leave it at that.

Switching the subject, have you ever wondered what would happen to that schefflera plant that you have in your living room would look like if it was planted in your lawn?   Me too.  Here’s what happens when one is happy.  Pretty impressive.  So, call me a sheltered New Englander, but I am enjoying seeing new things.  Simple pleasures for simple people.

While Friday’s sunrise was foggy, the first on our trip, we had a terrific sunrise on Thursday morning.    Look at this cloud bank which persisted all day and that evening gave us an amazing light show with dramatic lightening flashes each second for hours.  Happily we were sung at anchor enjoying another great day in paradise.  I wonder if Lucifer and Dante do good thunder too?

It’s Wednesday morning and today we head south to the SSCA Gam in Melbourne for three days and then on to home next Tuesday.  I can’t  believe that we have been away for nearly three months and our trip isn’t even half over.  That’s good.   It seems like only yesterday that our total time aboard for a vacation was only two weeks.  I like this better.  Our trip home for Chistmas will be short and it’s really jam packed.  With less than an month to see everyone and finish up on shopping, we will be plenty busy.  After we come back to Pandora we will have to high-tail it to the Bahamas in order to be there when the boys arrive in Georgetown in early February.

I have been listening to Chris Parker, the weather router, each morning and am beginning to appreciate just how tough it can be to get a decent weather window to make it across the Gulf Stream and all the way to Georgetown.  If we were trying to make the run right now it would not be good as the winds are very strong and from an unpleasant direction.  Well, we will just have to be on our toes as we get closer to our return date in early January.  Weather, and keeping track of it, is a full time focus for cruisers and doubly so in the Bahamas as there are just not that many protected harbors.  This means that when the wind direction changes, you have to move to a new location.   It’s for this reason that most everyone listens to the weather each morning just to be sure that they won’t find themselves on the wrong side of a key (island) when the wind shifts.

As another key part of our preparation for our trip to the Bahamas, we visited friends Jeff and Susan aboard Meltemi, last night and learned to play a version of dominos called Mexican Train, not a particularly PC name, if you ask me.  It was great fun and we are told that this, and other games are very popular with cruisers.   While Brenda and I were feeling like we were ready for bed by the time we dragged ourselves over to their boat at 7:00, we perked right up and had no trouble staying awake for several hours more as we played with them.  However, everyone was pretty pooped as we approached  9:00, “cruiser’s midnight” as it is known among the cruising set.   Me?  I was plenty ready for a nap.  That’s for sure.

Earlier yesterday, prior to nap time or just after our previous nap, depending on how you look at it, we went ashore again in Cocoa and enjoyed a walk around town.  As we had not ventured into the residential areas yet, we decided to see how, or at least where, the locals live.  We didn’t cover a lot of distance  but saw some really nice homes in a section just south of the business district.  The homes were modest and nicely maintained.  This one was our favorite.  We just loved the third floor glassed in room.  I did wonder how this would do in a hurricane.  Also, what happens in the summer when it’s blazing hot outside?  I guess it’s double blazing hot in there.  Very pretty though.   As Brenda and I enjoy saying, “I would live there”.Setting aside the pink shutters, this place would fit in well in our new home town, Essex CT.  What a great color and I love this fence.  It’s funny how these colors look so great in Florida and yet in New England we’d be saying “wow, that’s a blue house”.   I guess it’s always about location in real-estate.
House color isn’t the only thing that’s much different than at home.    On the arbor along the white fence, is this great vine.  I don’t know what it is called but some folks in Essex grow it in the summer.  Here, it’s a perennial   Nice that they were able to color coordinate the flowers with their house color.   There are loads of palm varieties.  I particularly like the pattern of these leaves.  Hard to believe that this sort of pattern is natural. Perhaps there is no more quintessential tropical flower than the bougainvillea. That and the ever popular hibiscus.   Another good one.   And here, they grow year round.  I wonder what the locals use as house plants?   Plants that will die outside because of the heat?  This ornamental orange, with fruit just a few inches across, was very pretty. We have always enjoyed bamboo and had two grand stands in our yard in New Jersey.  In spite of fears of them getting out of control, we had no trouble keeping them in check for nearly 20 years.  However, our variety was nowhere as large as this stand where the shoots were 4″ in diameter and the stalks some 60′ tall.   I’d hate to have to deal with older shoots of this stuff.  I used to chip up the old growth but it would take a really robust chipper to handle this. It’s also fun to see the little lizards scampering around everywhere.  This little guy seemed fine with having his photo taken even though I was only about a foot away.   Of course, he changed his color to blend in with the cement.  “I’ll sit really still and then you won’t see me!”.  Sorry bud, I see you…While not as elaborate as Charleston, St Augustine or some of the other places that we have visited, I recommend that you put Cocoa on your list. It’s a great place to spend a few days and we enjoyed our visit very much.