Sail Pandora

It’s 03:00 on Thursday morning and all is well aboard Pandora.  Jim and Rich are sleeping below and I have been on watch for less than an hour.  The moon has set, the stars are out in profusion and there is a phosphorescent glow in the water surrounding Pandora and streaming off in her wake.  It’s a truly remarkable time to be out on the ocean making passage.

We are about 1/3 of the way through our voyage from the Bahamas to home in CT and I have to say that I am enjoying this trip more than perhaps any I have taken in 40+ of sailing.  Pandora’s performing well with no major issues and the weather, THE WEATHER, is perfect; Sunny warm days and pleasantly cool nights.  I have even taken to wearing shoes, if only at night, can you believe it?  I haven’t had shoes on since leaving home in late January.  Who knew?

With a third of our 1,300 miles behind us, we have been able to sail the entire way, all but a few hours, without running the engine.
Conditions have been about perfect with a nearly flat sea and winds that are running in the 10-15 kt range on the beam or just behind, ideal for Pandora.  Our speed through the water have been consistently in the 5 to 7 knot range, which is great for fairly light winds.  Unfortunately, the forecast for today is for the wind to go light so we will likely be motoring much of today until the wind fills in from the south.  I’ll learn more from Chris Parker later this morning.

With regards to putting miles under our keel, what’s even better is that we have been able to keep Pandora in the strongest part of the Gulf Stream for nearly the entire time since leaving the Bahamas, giving us over-the-bottom speeds in the 8-9kt, sometimes 10kt range for the last two days.   The “stream” runs north at a good 3-4 knot clip which adds to our speed as we move along.

The near perfect conditions that we are enjoying are in stark contrast to those being “enjoyed” by our friends Bill and Maureen on Kalunamoo who are about 200 miles east of us.  They left about the same time as we did but from the northern Bahamas. I have been speaking to Bill each morning and evening on the SSB long range radio to compare notes and their experience has been very different.  While we are having moderate and favorable winds, Kalunamoo has had virtually no wind.  That’s amazing as they aren’t very far from us. They have had to motor the entire time and I can assure you that listening to the drone of a motor 24 hours a day can get pretty old.

What’s causing the difference in conditions is that there is a high pressure area east of us that is surpassing the wind so while we are sailing merrily along Bill and Maureen have no wind and have had to keep the motor running the entire time so far.  I am certainly sorry about their plight but am happy that we are where we are.

Speaking of “where we are”, our current position puts us nearly 70 miles from land and off of St Augustine FL.  It’s hard to believe that we have been underway nearly two days and are still in FL.  It’s a big state.   Of course, you can check out “where’s Pandora” on this site and see where we are on a Google Map.   As I have mentioned, we “push the button” on our GPS transponder every four hours to keep everyone up to date on where we are.

It’s certainly hard to say exactly when we will be back to CT but it’s looking like it could be as early as Monday or Tuesday.  Of course, as they say in the investment community, “past performance is no predictor of future returns” but we are making good time and I am hopeful that our good fortune will continue.   Yes, indeed, and as Brenda says, “Bob and the dog, ever hopeful”.

Or, on the other hand, as my dad used to say, “we’ll be there when we get there”.

Having good weather has been just terrific and I am appreciative of Chris Parker, the weather router, for giving me forecasts that have turned out to be spot on.  He also provided me with coordinates for the Gulf Stream which I am following as we head up the coast.  In southern Florida the “stream” is well defined and very close to shore, but as it heads north, it becomes more diffuse, with eddies and meanders along the edges.  These “eddies or meanders” can be very frustrating as while currents a few miles away might be running 3-4 knots to the north, you can find yourself in an area where the currents may suddenly head off to the east or west.  Happily, our task heading north is simple, as we are just trying to stay in the middle of the stream where the currents are quite consistent. Chris provided me a series of about 10 waypoints to put in my navigation plotter and steer for as we head from the Bahamas to Cape Hatteras.  This course looks like a gentle curve the northeast after we hit Georgia and, at times, diverges from a northerly course to one that’s nearly east in direction.  Yes, this means that we are not going the most direct route but with a 3-4 knot current pushing us along we get quite a boost to our speed and will cover the distance faster.

Sailors spend a lot of time thinking about what constitutes an “ideal cruising boat” and one of the greatest attributes of Pandora in this area is her ability to sail in conditions with marginal wind.  The fact that she can keep up a respectable turn of speed with winds in the 10-15 knot range is remarkable with most cruising boats needing at least 15 knots to keep moving well.  Pandora can make good speed in conditions where most boats will need to have their motor on to make progress.  I am also appreciative of her easy motion as she reels off the miles.  There have been many times in the last few days when I was resting down below and thought we were nearly dead in the water only to learn that we were moving well but so smoothly that it was hard to tell we were making any progress at all.

As I sit here, alone in the cockpit writing this post, I am also enjoying the fact that there isn’t another sole within some 50 miles of our position.  The VHF radio is silent and there are no lights on the horizon in any direction except a gentle glow to the west, I guess from St Augustine.  The radar and AIS confirm that there isn’t a ship anywhere near us.  As we were leaving the Bahamas yesterday and were near Miami and Ft Lauderdale, there were dozens of ships to contend with and some were on a course that would cross our path so keeping a careful watch was critical and often stressful.   Twice, on our first night out, I had to contact nearby ships to confirm that they saw us and confirm what they’d like me to do to avoid getting into trouble.

Now that the three of us, me Jim and Rich, have settled in to a routine aboard, I am less concerned about keeping two on deck for each watch which is making things easier and allowing us to get more rest.  On our first night out, as is customary for me the first night when making passage, I wanted two on deck at all times.  Given the fact that we were in pretty congested waters and both Jim and Rich were not familiar with Pandora, I wasn’t comfortable having just one of them on deck while I was down below.  As a result, none of us got much sleep.  Me, perhaps an hour all night.    That’s in marked contrast to tonight, when I slept from shortly after dinner till I woke up for watch around 02:00 this morning.  If feel very well rested.  That’s nice.

Now that we are in a less busy shipping area and everyone is better acquainted with the boat, I am comfortable with having only one on deck at a time.  The watch schedule is pretty easy with Jim on deck from 20:00 (8:00pm) to 23:00, Rich from 23:00 to 02:00 and me for three hours till 05:00 when Jim takes over again.

At 06:00, each day, I listen to Chris Parker’s forecast and talk to him to get an updated forecasts for my area.  At 08:30 I check in with Cruiseheimers, the SSB Net, to give my position as well as with the Do-Da net at 17:00.  I have also been speaking with Bill on Kalunamoo in the morning and evening to see how they are doing.  It’s nice to know that we are able to communicate with others in spite of being so far out in the ocean.  We are very aware that we are truly on our own out here but it’s nice to be in touch with others.

I also check e-mail several times a day to get news from home as well as my evening weather update from Chris Parker.

All of these activities along with cooking and keeping the boat in shape keep me pretty busy but still allows for plenty of down time to catch up on my reading.

All in all this run is shaping up to be the best one for me in nearly 40 years of sailing and at 1,300 miles non stop, the longest yet.

So, what next?  While Brenda and I have talked about what we will do next winter, I have to say that making the run to the Caribbean, a trip I have wanted to do for years, is sounding very appealing.

Well, I guess that’s about it for now.  Alas, still no pictures.  I could send a shot of water but while it’s a lovely shade of cobalt blue, well, it’s just blue.    I guess I’ll just have to see how many more meteors I can count before the day begins.
Wish me luck for continued smooth sailing aboard Pandora.  Signing off…

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.

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…

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.

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.

It’s Sunday morning and the sun is up and there’s NO WIND.   Amazing!!!   With all of the strong winds we’ve had over the last few months, a day of no wind is a special treat.  The view of the soft clouds and absolutely still water are remarkably peaceful.   I guess spring is here in the Bahamas.  Chris Parker, the weather router, did say that we would be in for a nearly perfect week of light to moderate winds from the east, a good angle for heading north as we make our way up the Exuma chain toward Nassau.

We are anchored at Big Majors Spot, an island right near Staniel Cay where we met Rob and Kandice yesterday afternoon.  On our way as we walked the short distance to the “airport”, we spied a family of chickens, moma and chicks.  “run away, run away”  All I could get was a shot of their behinds.  “Here, chicki, chicki…”Brenda and I were at the airport, such as it is, when their plane arrived.   The plane landed and taxied over to where we were standing. As the plane approached a hand came out of the window waving furiously.   It was Rob, imagine that, sitting in the right seat next to the pilot.   I guess that they didn’t have assigned seating so he must have bolted to the best seat in the house. No surprise there.  I guess they didn’t need a co-pilot.  Doesn’t he look happy to see us?  And we to see him.After a visit to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club bar for a beer, off we headed to Pandora.  We visited the pigs at Big Majors Spot and went for a swim. 

“So, what’s the plan for your week with Rob and Kandice Bob?”   Thanks for asking…

We’ll hit some of our favorite spots on our way north.   In particular, there’s one stop that we’ll make that I wanted to mention and that’s Over Yonder Cay.  This is a not so small privately owned island, a short distance from Staniel.  It’s one that you can’t visit without permission from the owner.  And that’s where this interesting story begins.

Last summer I wrote about this island and its owner in a post while we were home in CT.   We had sailed past the island last winter and I was fascinated by the huge wind generators on the island, the only ones we have seen in the Bahamas.  When one of the yachting magazines that I get ran a profile about the owner, and his island, I had to do a post.   Well, it seems that the owner, Dr. Borsharge, saw the post and I guess he liked what I wrote about him and his island as he has invited us to visit (actually a representive contacted me) through a comment on my blog.  How neat is that?

Imagine that, a visit to a private island in the Exumas, Over Yonder Cay…   So, on Monday we will pull Pandora into the island’s private marina for a tour of Over Yonder.  More to come on that…

For the rest of the week, well, you could say that we’ll be sailing “over yonder” but as to where exactly that is…  I guess you’ll have to come back here and see for yourself.  Of coure, if you click on “where’s Pandora” on this blog, you can see exactly where we are.

Yes, a great week coming up and then, back to CT with crew from Nassau.

Lots to do.  Perhaps I’d better get the coffee on.

It’s Friday and we are back in Staniel Cay, again.   Saturday, tomorrow, we will be joined here by our son Rob and his girlfriend Kandice who will be aboard for a week on our run up the Exuma chain and back to Nassau.  And that will be my last stop in the Bahamas where Brenda will fly home and I’ll meet up with crew for my run back home to CT.   While I hate to see this season in the Bahamas end, I am really looking forward to being in New England for the summer, even if I do have to cut my lawn.  I guess it’s like the rest of life, you take the good with the bad.

Yesterday we had a wonderful 40 mile sail from Eleuthera on calm seas with a nice moderate wind.  Along the way we did a bit of fishing and caught a mahi-mahi.  Actually, it wasn’t just a mahi-mahi, it was a big mahi-mahi, almost too big to get aboard.   Here’s how it looked in the water.  Yes, the water is really that blue.  Mahi-mahi are very colorful when they are “pissed” and he was plenty upset, as you can imagine. And as we got it closer.  I feared that this would be as close as we’d get prior to loosing him.Happily, we landed him.  Brenda holding the pole and me with the gaff.   Now, that’s a big fish.  Then I cleaned him in the cockpit.  (Brenda went below to avoid the gore and, let me tell you, there was plenty.)  Good thing we have a watermaker as I used lots cleaning up the mess with red blood flowing off of the back of the boat.  I wonder if we were being followed by sharks?  Bottom line, nearly 10 lbs of filets.   No more fishing for a while, that’s for sure.Speaking of the “one that got away”.   We also passed a pod of pilot whales, the first we have seen.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite ready with my camera so this shot isn’t so great.   Actually, it’s pretty pathetic.  You will have to trust me that they were whales.  For the “camera isn’t ready part” they were very close.  I think that they were napping, actually.  As Pandora passed, they woke up pronto and dove.  While we were in Eleuthera we did some exploring by car.  (forgive the jarring segue) Car rentals in the Bahamas are a very different experience than in the States where you have to sign your life away before they let you behind the wheel.  In the Bahamas,  well, “it’s the Bahamas mon, don’t worry”.  Indeed. Actually, it’s as simple as handing them the cash for the rental and driving away.  No walk around to check with dents before or after, (there’s too many to count anyway) or any discussion about a security deposit.   Security deposit?  What’s that?  I guess that there’s not much of a risk of someone taking off with one of their cars.   Wait, there’s nowhere to run with the stolen car on an island with only one major road, right?   Alas, I digress. 

Eleuthera is a long, very narrow, island, 100 miles by only 3 miles at it’s widest.  At the narrowest; well it’s very narrow, only as wide as a single lane road, barely.   The island is a bit more lush than other islands that we have visited but it’s still pretty arid.  Interestingly, Dole fruit used to grow pineapples on the island but some time ago they moved their farming to Hawaii.  It’s hard to believe that they were ever able to grow pineapples on the island given the modest rainfall.

The northern part of the island is pretty hilly by Bahamas standards, but that distinction is still relative as the highest point on the island is still less than 200’.   That’s in great contrast to the Caribbean where islands rise several thousand feet above sea level. (I thought I’d throw that reference in as we are thinking of taking Pandora there for the winter of 2014/2015.  However, that’s a story for another post so I’ll let it go at that for now.)

As I mentioned, the narrowest point of the island is only a single car lane wide bridge.  That particular spot is called “the glass window” as it’s where you can see from the eastern side of the island to the western side.  And there is a HUGE difference depending on which way you look.  The view of the western side is shallow flats, typical of the Bahamas.   I understand that during a storm a few years ago this bridge was hit by a giant wave that pushed the entire bridge over some eleven feet.  I shudder to think of what that wave must have looked like. I am glad that I wasn’t there.  Even on a “calm” day, the waves are plenty big for me.The eastern side is very rugged with huge ocean waves crashing.  When I see a coastline like this I can’t help but think about what it would be like to be shipwrecked here.  No, I won’t think about that today…I walked up to the top of one of the cliffs and saw about a dozen sea turtles swimming below, way below, actually.  I had a tough time looking over the cliff with the waves crashing hard way below.  I’m not a fan of heights at all.  The turtles were each between two and three feet across.  Very beautiful.   Yes, this picture is pretty fuzzy but I figured that a bad photo of a turtle is better than no photo.  We also visited a nearby cove called “The Queen’s bath”.  Somehow, I’m not picturing good old Queen Elizabeth splashing around here in her knickers.    The waves (on a calm day) looked to be pretty spirited for the old gal.  “Come on in Liz, the water’s great”.    Can you get struck by lightning for taking the Queen’s name in vane?  No wait, the Bahamas declared their independence from England a while back so I’m safe, I guess.  A beautiful spot, Queen or not.  And yes, that’s Brenda and Maureen on the side of the cliff.  “Don’t jump…Someone call the crisis hotline!”  We stopped at a lovely spot for lunch. And believe me, there aren’t that many places like this to choose from in the Bahamas so this was quite a find.The view from the patio was beautiful.  Love those thatched umbrellas. And, after lunch, a walk on the beach.   They said that it was a pink beach but it looked more sand colored to me.  Beautiful, pink or not.All and all, a wonderful day and one of our best this winter.

While I was working on this post and cleaning up the aft cabin for Rob and Kandice’s visit tomorrow, we were hit by a humdinger of a thunderstorm.   Here’s a shot of some menasing clouds approaching from the south.  And, then the heavens opened up.  What a show.  Thankfully, no lightening nearby.  And, you may recall how much I love sunsets so I’ll close with a shot of an Eleutheran one at that.

Oh yeah, did I mention that Rob and Kandice are visiting tomorrow?  Thought so…  I can’t wait.

Actually, it’s Tuesday afternoon and we have been out for the day, however, that’s another story.  We have been without Internet for a few days but I when I wrote this pot I would say  “It’s Sunday afternoon and Easter here on Eluthra.”   Then It would have been safe to say “Well, I guess that means that it’s Easter everywhere but this is where we are too.”

Ok, now that I have cleared all that up and you are clear on when I wrote this…

Actually, we are in a harbor, such as it is, called Rock Sound.  While Rock Sound is large, several miles across, it’s fairly well protected from every direction except from the south and the distance across at that point is about 5 miles.  Yes, the chop can build up with a strong wind but it’s not nearly as bad as if there was no protection.

I can say this with confidence as we are nearing the end of a of a frontal passage as I write this.  The wind clocked from the southeast beginning yesterday, through the south and all the way around to the northwest, where it is now, a wind shift of 180 degrees in less than 24 hours.  We knew that this front was coming and had decided to visit here knowing that the protection would be fairly good.

We left Fernandez Bay for the 70+ mile run to Rock Sound on the island of Eleuthra, before daybreak, very early on Friday morning, at 04:30 actually.  Under the light of a nearly full moon, we pulled anchor and left the harbor.  We had decided to make such a long run as the winds were favorable for sailing nearly the whole way.  To motor for 10-12 hours in unfavorable conditions would have been a drag and would have used a good amount of fuel.  Actually, to do it under power would have taken a lot longer, certainly longer than it took under sail.  Happily, the run was uneventful, with a good breeze behind us, and we made good time, arriving here in Rock Sound about twelve hours later.

Much of the run was in the ocean and with wind running in the teens to twenty knots,  the swells got pretty large and for part of the time, the wind driven waves that were following us from behind combined with some large ocean swells coming down from the North Atlantic.  This made for some confused seas and Brenda wasn’t too comfortable.  However, compared to past runs, Brenda did quite well.  It’s interesting that she seems to be much less sensitive to motion than she was even a few years ago.

Shortly after we left Fernandez Bay we were treated to a beautiful sunrise off to the east.As we are getting into spring here in the Bahamas, many flowers are coming into bloom.  There are very few flowers to pick here in the islands during the winter but as spring approaches, there are many wild flowers.   This bush had a particularly dramatic display. Forgive the clash of colors with my shirt.  I clearly wasn’t thinking of this photo op when I chose this shirt to wear yesterday.We didn’t see many seabirds last winter but there seem to be more this year.   Perhaps it’s the particular islands that we are visiting.  I tossed some moldy bread overboard and it attracted quite a lot of attention from the local avians.The sunset, with the weather associated with the front passing, made for a dramatic sunset in the western sky.   “Bob, this one looks just the same as the last ten you posted”.   Yes, yes, I know, lots of sunset photos in my blog but I like sunset photos.  Besides, as you know, it’s my blog.  So there!We also saw the most amazing clouds off to the east that were reflecting the sunset. I have not seen clouds like this before.  The soft “pillows” in the sky were very dramatic.Early this morning we were treated to a fantastic thunderstorm.  Fortunately, there were wasn’t much lightening as that can be a threat to electronics on a boat.   We know of several boats that have been hit by lightning.  The crew was fine but every piece of electronic equipment was toast.  One couple we met this winter lost every electronic component on their boat and it took him two months of work to replace everything, and it’s still not quite right.  That would not be the way I’d want to spend time aboard in the Bahamas.

Today we decided to visit a Methodist church here on the island.  The wind was piping up pretty well so getting ashore in our Sunday best, a relative term compared with the finery worn by the rest of the congregation, was a bit challenging.    We were rewarded by a wonderful experience at the Rock Sound Methodist Church.  Rev. Gilbert Witcher and Brother Elton Symonette went out of their way, as did many in the congregation, to make us feel at home. We were introduced to the congregation and they even gave us a “prize” for being the very first visitors to arrive for worship, (we were actually afraid to be late) of a bottle of sparkling cider.  We were thrilled. 

Unlike Methodist churches in the states, where services are kept to one hour give or take, here in the Bahamas the starting time is a bit looser and they cram an amazing amount into a two hour service.  It wasn’t over till it was over.

And there was plenty going on.  There was a trumpeter.  A wonderful dance number, lots of music and a lot of AMENs.  Let’s say that the Bahamamian Methodists are a lot noisier than the more conservative suburban types we are used to.  I liked it a lot.  And, there was a booming sound system and even a projector that showed the words of the hymns on the wall above the cross for all to follow.  Sorry, but no bouncing ball to show you when to sing.

Here we are with Brother Elton after the service.   What an enthusiastic preacher he was. AMEN!!!  No, not a great big smile from him here.   I guess he used it all up a moment before.  So much for “ok, one picture is fine”.  And other parishioners mugging for the camera in their Easter finest.A very pretty if simple church.  And perfectly well kept as are all churches here in the Bahamas.

After church we headed back aboard Pandora to prepare a picnic lunch and off to a local park, near a blue hole, a 600’ deep ocean hole right in the middle of town.  What a beautiful spot,  complete with tropical fish, for a picnic with Maureen and Bill of Kalunamoo.  We had a great Easter feast complete with some mahi-mahi that Bill caught off of his boat. We were visited buy a very pretty bird that was hunting for lizards in the tree above us.  He was really quite close, only a few feet away. Some of the locals were swimming in the ocean hole.  It was a very popular spot for families to have an Easter outing.   This spot is much like other swimming holes around the world except that it’s 600’ deep with near vertical walls from the edge to the bottom.   Don’t fall in as it’s hard to get out if you aren’t near one of the ladders.All and all, a very relaxing Easter for me and Brenda.  We miss family but it was nice to be here too.  And, to look out of the church window and see palm trees… Quite a treat.

Since it’s Easter perhaps I’ll close with yet another church, one that we can see from Pandora’s cockpit as it’s located right on the beach, not 50′ from the water at high tide.   Quite a beautiful building.  Quite a beautiful day as well.  Happy Easter and a fine “Eleuthrian” one at that.  

It’s Thursday afternoon and, hard to imagine, (not really) the sun is out and it’s a beautiful day.  We have been “buddy boating” with our friends Bill and Maureen on Kalunamoo for a while now and here we are anchored off of a beautiful beach and, as an added bonus, the Fernandez Bay Village resort.   This place is beautiful and they even have a palm frond thatched roof on the main dining room.  How tropical.

Last night we had hoped to have dinner ashore as the resort puts on a terrific buffet spread each evening.  Unfortunately, I seem to have picked up some sort of stomach deal that put me down for about 24 hours.  After a particularly tough night, Brenda decided that I needed to visit the island clinic this morning.  So, she called to make an appointment.  The resort ordered a cab and we took the dink ashore.  I have to say that it was the first time I went for a doctor apt via a dink.  I guess there’s a first time for everything.

The clinic was a very small yellow building and the staff was quite efficient.  They were actually closed today but took me anyway.  That was very nice.  They checked me out and declared that I needed to eat more healthy stuff.  No surprise there.  And after and exam and a prescription, filled by them they sent me on my way.  The cost?  $0.  Such is socialized medicine, it would seem.   Welcome to the Bahamas.  Welcome indeed.  Oh yeah, the cab picked us up, took us to the clinic, then to the market and back to the resort, all for $25.  Yep, another good deal.   He even waited at the clinic while I was at the appointment.

Anyway, all seems to be well and I am on the mend.  I mentioned this as we were very disappointed that we had to cancel dinner last night but I think I am feeling well enough now that we can head ashore tonight.

This is such a beautiful spot. We can see the resort from Pandora.  Nice beach, right?  (Forgive me but this is a view from the resort to Pandora, but you can imagine, right?)The view down the beach from the patio looks like it’s a thousand miles from anywhere. In a way, it is.   We sailed 50 miles to get here and along the way the water was over 6,000′ deep.    Just love those umbrellas. The main dining room is thatched with palm fronds.   How “island”. The “tiki” bar is pretty amazing and they run it on the “honor system”.  Just make a note of what you have.  “On my honor, I’ll have another.”  I suppose it saves on staffing.  Works for me.
There are a few beautiful little islands just out in front of the lodge.  Love the clouds.And Pandora framed by the sky and impossibly blue water.We took a dink ride through a nearby mangrove swamp.  Very beautiful.  Brenda saw a sea turtle yesterday.  Lots of fish, rays and small sharks there.  We got a few shells too. The mangroves are small shrubby plants that grow in shallow water.  Their roots are very strong and can hold even in storms.  They are a great protector of fragile shorelines and a wonderful nursery for fish of all types.   The water is just so clear, like gin and very warm. 
So, now that I have “recovered” we made a reservation for dinner tonight again. I hope that I am up to it.  However, we have to leave in the morning as there is a front coming through and we have to get to a more sheltered spot when the clocking winds arrive.  Here, there’s 50 miles of ocean to the west.  Not a great spot when the wind starts piping up from the west.

So, dinner tonight or never…

Tomorrow we will likely get up early and head to Eluthera, an island about 70 miles north of here.  That’s a long way to go in one day so an early start will be important.   Getting out of Fernandez Bay in the dark should be easy but we want to arrive in Rock Sound Eluthera in daylight.

It’s Wednesday morning and a lovely day at anchor off of Cat Island in the central Bahamas.  Last year, when we visited Cat, we had to leave abruptly when there was a wind shift coming that would make staying anchored uncomfortable, or perhaps dangerous.  Happily, this year we have already been here for three nights and the weather is still good.  Imagine that…

Yesterday, accompanied by our friends Maureen and Bill of Kalunamoo, (I finally figured out how to spell the name of their boat, I think.) we visited Father Gerome’s Hermitage.  The Hermitage, Father Gerome’s retirement home, is perched on the highest peak in the Bahamas, a whopping 202 feet above sea level. Not particularly high but the view from there is still pretty impressive.   Pandora’s out in the distance with a handful of other boats.As I stood up on the peak I found myself wondering what the winter winds would feel like to live in such an exposed stone structure.  But wait, it’s the Bahamas and winter winds are in the 80s.  Oh yeah, nice. 

Anyway, Father Gerome was not a guy who needed a lot of creature comforts.  His bed, if you can call it that, was just a small depression in the floor of one of the main rooms.  Not sure Brenda would go for that.  No wait, she WOULDN’T like it at all.  I’d say that it was quite “hermit like”, actually.

Not only were his living conditions pretty spartan, he wanted to be sure that it was pretty uncomfortable to get to his place.  The path, if you could call it that, was quite steep at the end. The Hermitage looks quite grand from a distance with lovely proportions and architectural details.  Gerome was a gifted amateur architect.  

At first glance you really think it’s a grand structure.  However, here’s Bill standing alongside.  It’s actually more like a large scale model, that you could live in, assuming, of course, that you are an old hermit that loves to be uncomfortable.  Can you say “hair shirt”?The windows, carved into the stone sides, have modest shutters. I couldn’t resist peeking out for a “Kodak moment”.    No wait, Kodak?  Perhaps it was a “digital moment”.   Whatever…Down toward shore there is an area where some farming is going on.  In spite of the dry conditions, bananas are grown in some depressions on the ground.   It’s amazing how much fruit grows on a single stalk. We also took a walk down the road running along shore for a bit of lunch.   These “dining establishments”, no make that bars, are very modest wooden structures right on the beach.  Pretty basic. However, they do quite a solid lunch business.Yet another view of Pandora framed nicely. As a reminder that all wasn’t always so peaceful here in the Bahamas, we saw some cotton plants from the days when the Loyalists, following the American Revolution, brought their slaves here and tried to set up plantations.  Alas, it didn’t work as there just wasn’t enough water here to make a go of it.There are ruins everywhere.  Building abandoned.  And, they are often right next to a more modern structure.  Many churches on the island.  Often many out buildings and more like “compounds” as modest as they are.Some cute little shops but they always seem to be closed.  Brenda liked this building, in particular.  And painted brightly, as is their custom.The wind was kicking up for the afternoon so we got pretty well splashed on our way back to Pandora.  Nothing new there.   However, as sunset approached, things settled down and we were treated to a spectacular sunset.   There’s Kalunamoo framed against a beautiful setting sun.  Pretty dramatic.   If you’re thinking “Bob, if you’ve seen one sunset, you’ve seen them all” than you had to be there. Oh yeah, two nights ago we set an alarm for 03:00 and got up to see the lunar eclipse.  It was amazing.  Brenda stayed up longer and was treated to a number of beautiful meteors streaking across the moon and even a satellite.   Me, I craved sleep and missed much of the fun. It’s not often that you can view such an amazing event from aboard with such a panoramic view.  Pretty special. 

Our plans for the next few days are a bit up in the air but we’ll be speaking with Bill and Maureen later to decide.  Happily, the next few days are looking great with moderate winds and fair skies so we have a number of good options on where to go, or not go.   After a winter spent constantly dodging cold fronts, we are ready for some benign conditions and that’s what we have.  That’s good, very good.

And, if that’s not enough, Rob and Kandice join us in Staniel Cay in about a week and a half.  Perfect.