The Adventures of Tropical Breeze

Update on Dad...

2012-02-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

Dave's Dad is through surgery and doing well. The doctor says he could be released as early as tomorrow!

The Admiral

There and Back Again...

2012-02-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

On a beautiful Wednesday morning we finally decided we had no excuses to remain at the dock and opted to drop the lines and head south to Lake Worth. Twenty six miles, seven bridges (most of them timed) and 7.5 hours later we arrived at an anchorage just south of Peanut Island. A day with lots of bridges is always a challenge so we were ready to kick back and relax a bit. Not to be.

Around 6:30pm we received an urgent message from back home. Dave's Dad was being hospitalized. It would take most of the night, but in the weee hours of the morning another call would confirm our suspicions that his gallbladder was reeking havoc on his system causing a whole host of issues.

Now what? We couldn't believe our dreadful luck. We'd been tied to the dock in Stuart for a month and less than 12 hours after setting our sights southbound 'stuff' happens. We aren't very familiar with the Lake Worth/Palm Beach area so we opted to do the only thing that made sense to us; we headed back north to Stuart. After a relatively sleepless night, we hoisted the anchor before sunrise and started the journey. We were not looking forward to all the bridges, but remarkably we made them all, clearing the last timed bridge at a very purposefully planned 7:30am in hopes that we would beat any work crews. On arriving back at Loggerhead, everyone was waiting at the dock to take our lines. We were able to quickly get the boat secured, book a flight for the Captain and get him back to the midwest.

The good news is that a minor surgery on Thursday was able to address the immediate issues to Dave's Dad's health. An additional surgery is planned for Monday to remove the gallbladder and hopefully stop these attacks for good.

Huge hugs and thanks go out to the members of the boating community who came to our rescue on Thursday including the staff at Loggerhead Marina, Susan and Eldon on Soteria and Dave and Linda on Chimo II. We couldn't have gotten the Captain home so quickly without your help!

More to come.

The Admiral

Work and Play...

2012-01-30T12:03:00.000-08:00

The work - and play - continues. We are still at Loggerhead Marina in Stuart, Florida and while we continue to think about leaving, we admit that it has been just an inkling of a thought at the back of our minds. Instead we've continued to take the opportunity to get a few things done. The big project was the fuel tank. A baffle had come loose in the tank on the way down and when the waves hit the bow just right we were getting some clanking as the metal baffle hit the sides of the metal tank. Captain Dave decided to take a look and see what he could do. Unfortunately, on inspection, there is little we can do without taking the tank out to get it rewelded. That is not going to happen right now so instead we opted for Plan B which was to set the baffle in such a position that it would make minimal noise. That solution appears to be holding us for now but when the 'Breezer' reaches port for its spring haul, we will need to look at dismantling the windlass and pulling the tank for a repair.

Our projects around the boat did not come without cost. Captain Dave had a major blowout with his shorts and was in quick need of some carpentry work as he was going about boat repairs. It was duct tape to the rescue or let him flaunt his buns and briefs to the neighborhood. As you can see I opted for the duct tape route.

With the project done it was time for some well deserved fun. Of course our optimal work to fun quotient is always leaning in favor of fun - big time. So, it was up to the marina pool and hot tub for a bit of R&R. We sampled our first fish tacos and now we have become fish taco converts. If you haven't tried them, definitely add them to your list of a must try!

So as you can see, we are really roughing it again this season and between the pool, hot tub and bar service direct to pool side, we are really struggling to drop the dock lines and move on.

The Admiral

Home Base...

2012-01-18T10:41:00.001-08:00

As in years past, we are using Stuart as a home base for a while allowing us to get mail, take care of repairs, provision etc. Our first stop was provisioning. Thanks to friends Blair and Laurie on Odissea XX, we had access to a car and were able to make a run to the local Sam's Club for all the important stuff. You can tell from the dock cart what we deem important. The Yuengling beer and limes for gin and tonic would be on the Admiral's priority list. The Captain, on the other hand, is more inclined to prioritize the Rice Krispie treats and M&M cookies.

The Admiral

2012-01-08T03:38:00.000-08:00

We woke the next morning with a dilemma. Should we stay inside and continue south on the ICW or pop outside to the Atlantic waters. The wind was out of the north suggesting a good offshore run, but most of the buoy reports (farther offshore than we would be) were indicating some big waves out there. We made the safe choice and opted to stay inside.

We were glad we did. We hadn't traveled the waterway from St. Augustine to Ft. Pierce in quite some time and had forgotten how it widens out enabling sailors to take advantage of the space and in the right winds hoist sail. For the next three days the winds held firm and we felt like we were speeding down the ICW. Each day we made over 60 miles of headway south. I know this doesn't sound like much but we normally average about 50 miles a day on the ICW in the fall so to us the 60+ mile days were huge.

On reaching the Ft. Pierce and then the St. Lucie inlets on the third day we saw something we've never seen before. We saw the line between the muddy river water and the clear Atlantic waters meet. It was clear as day. As if someone had colored the waters brown on one side of the line and a very pale green on the other side. The pictures really don't do it justice as we could look in front of us and behind and as far as we could see was this division of the waters forced by the changing tide.

The Admiral

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T06:37:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. We apologize for falling woefully behind on the blog and confess that we have not been in Fernandina Beach, Florida this whole time. Instead we continued down the waterway and then took a hiatus for the holiday. So as a first order of business, let's catch you all up over the next several blog entries and then let you know what is in store for the rest of the boating season.

First stop - St. Augustine!

St. Augustine is one of our favorite waterway stops and with the new mooring field it is all the better. This time we met up with friends Kevin and Marlene for the day. We enjoyed a tour of San Sebastian Winery and learned some things about wine that we did not know. The winery uses a lot of moscato grapes in their wines so since our visit Captain Dave has been sampling various wines using moscato grapes as a base. We also bummed around the pedestrian district doing some shopping. From there it was off to Pizza Alley for lunch. Kevin and Marlene also introduced us to something new (to us) in St. Augustine - a gelato place - oh my!!

The Admiral

St. Mary's and Fernandina...

2011-11-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

From Jekyll Island we continued south passed the submarine station. For the first time ever, there was actually a submarine in port. The home port of the sub remains a mystery as neither the Captain nor I recognized the courtesy flag it flew; it was not a US ship.

Turning up the St. Mary's river, we made a stop in St. Mary's Georgia. Here we enjoyed all the Halloween decorations that were out with the Captain particularly taking an interest in a pirate in search of ice cream. We did a bit of shopping and stepped into our favorite used bookstore to mull around a bit and signed the wall of the boater's room.

The next stop was Fernandina Beach and - yes - Florida! Here we had a very important purchase to make at the Advance Auto Parts store. One of the engine start batteries failed and we'd been motoring along with only one engine, unable to start the other. The team at Advance was great. We bought two batteries - one replacement and one spare. They delivered them to us right to the dock. Thanks so much!!!

With the chores out of the way, we enjoyed some window shopping around town. The Bulldogs and Gators were playing - quite the rivalry - and all around town people were dressed in colors supporting either their Georgia or Florida team. The Captain decided to get into the action also, and did a photo opp with the team's mascots.

So we made it to Florida. A bit of a push, but it certainly felt great to be in the Florida sun.

The Admiral

Jekyll Island...

2011-11-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have followed our blog for a while will recall that during our stay at Jekyll last year lots was happening. The old gas station had been torn down and a new gas station/convenience store was under construction. The old strip mall housing the grocery store and gift shops had been demolished and the merchants set up in temporary trailers. Lastly, we were one of the last people to see the old convention center as it was scheduled to be destroyed the day we were there.

Well, I am happy to report that lots has been happening and it is all good - make that great!! First (and most important in the Captain's eyes) is that the new convenience store / gas station opened for business in February 2011. But know that this was not just any ordinary gas/convenience store as it housed.....wait for it.... a Dairy Queen. Yes, a Dairy Queen. So you can imagine where our first stop was on our arrival at Jekyll. Afterall who can pass up a blizzard treat. We were going to earn it, after all, with our pedaling about the island.

But there is more! The grocery and shops were still housed in their temporary location, but the convention center....holy cow! We were surprised at the sight and in speaking with a couple of the construction workers it sounds as if the new center will be completed around February 2012. Pretty quick work if you ask me.

No new news on the future strip mall which will again house the grocery and gift shops, but we have no doubt it will come along quickly as the convention center is completed.

As for the ambiance of the island. I know many of the residents, us also, were concerned that with the new construction the island would lose much of its charm. I am happy to report that as of yet that does not appear to be the case. The two lane road with surrounding trees that serves as access to the island remains intact and all over the construction area greenery has been fenced off in an effort to preserve it.

It really is looking great and we can't wait for our next stop at Jekyll to see what more good things have come from the renovation.

The Admiral

Offshore...

2011-11-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

We left Beaufort, NC during twilight, exited the inlet and set the sails. During the mid-morning hours we were greeted by a pod of 15+ dolphins who surfed around the boat. They stayed and played for about an hour and we applauded their performance. The more we applauded the more, it appeared, that they wanted to show off for us. Before we knew it they were leaping straight out of the water doing flips. It was really quite something.

Our journey continued into mid-day then into evening. We continued to move along well passing south of Charleston by the next morning. Then again about mid-morning on our second day another large pod of dolphins discovered us and performed to our delight.

This is our fourth year enjoying the travels south and while we have had groups of 2-3 dolphins swim with us previously, we have never experienced the large pods and the fun and games that they provided.

By mid-morning the third day we were in southern Georgia. No dolphins today, but land ho. We had reached our destination and we were both ready for some shore leave. We'd been aboard since Virginia and we were both anxious to step on terra firma. But first, a good nights rest.

The Admiral

Weather...

2011-10-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

We were up early full well knowing that the winds would be picking up on the Albemarle today. We wanted to get across before things got too choppy. It was our third southbound trip across the Albemarle. The crossing on the previous two trips had been quite memorable as both times we blew out the spinnaker sail. Not today. Today we stuck with the main and jib and safely made it across with no issues. It would be a big travel day for us covering over 65 miles. This was good as the strong southerly winds came in each of the next two days and brought us to a near standstill. Once the bad weather was past, we continued the journey reaching Beaufort, NC.

A look of the weather forecast told us northerly winds were expected for the next several days. Here, in Beaufort, we would take our journey into the Atlantic waters and make a beeline for the more distant south.

The Admiral

Which Way to Go???

2011-10-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

We awoke the next morning with a big decision....which route should we take? The options: (1) the very familiar Dismal Swamp route or (2) the faster but never tried (by us) Virginia Cut route. In the end weather and our taste buds would make us choose the Dismal Swamp route. The weather because we anticipated the swamp would offer us more protection from the southerly winds and our taste buds because we knew exactly where to find soft shell crab and blizzards in Elizabeth City.

So through the lock we went and off towards North Carolina. We had hopes of seeing Lockmaster Robert at the Deep Creek lock and we did. However he wasn't working the lock. Instead he was doing a dismal swamp tour in his pontoon boat. It was a great day for a swamp tour. The colors were in the early stage of their fall change - not yet brillant but certainly not green.

By early afternoon, we crossed the border into North Carolina and reached the South Mills lock at the end of the 22 mile swamp. From there we continued the trek finally reaching the Elizabeth City bridge. It was here that we would quickly realize that our grand visions of seafood and ice cream would not be realized. Unfortunately the city docks at Elizabeth City were all full - no room at the inn!

What to do?! While we would have loved to have stayed, the forecast called for the weather to worsen over the next several days and we decided it would not be prudent to remain in Elizabeth City at anchor. Instead we opted to begin the journey south on the Pasquotank river. We motorsailed a few more miles before a falling sun forced us to drop the hook near shore.

Tomorrow would be another day.

The Admiral

Another Season!

2011-10-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

Can it be that time of year again??? Where has the time flown? The summer was fun and busy, busy, busy - so much so it was a bit of a blur. Nonetheless, we are back and ready for season four aboard the 'Breezer.'

Every season has had its surprises. One evening over cocktails, before our departure, I remarked to friends Brian and Yvonne from Options III that we knew there would be surprises - we just didn't know what - hence the surprise. Well the first surprise would make itself known within 5 minutes of leaving the dock. No right steerage. We floated along, scratching our heads, brainstorming what the issue could be when the Captain headed down into the engine compartments to gather intelligence. The issue was quickly identified and resolved. A sewage vent hose had come unclamped from the engine room ceiling and was lying on the rudder mechanism. This limited the turning radius of the rudder. Once moved and put back in its place, the rudders turned freely. Thank heavens! But then two minutes later we discovered the VHF radio remote handset at the helm was not working and the handheld VHF radio was not working properly. So much for a smooth start...

So off we went. Down the Chesapeake and into, what is usually a very busy, Hampton Roads. Today, however, the place was virtually deserted. Sure there were some recreational boats mulling about, but no Navy ships were on the move nor a single freighter enroute. Very unusual. We continued passed the Navy pier and towards downtown Norfolk. Here we saw a first for us. The Carnival Glory was in port at its downtown pier and just behind it sat the battleship the USS Wisconsin, a part of the Norfolk Maritime Museum. From land, this probably didn't look unusual in the least, but from our seaside vantage point, the enormity of the cruise ship over the US warship was evident - and those old warships aren't exactly tiny in their own right. It was quite a sight.

Still onward we went serpentining the river until we passed under the Gillmerton Bridge. Once passed the bridge we opted to tie up to the free dock at the Chesapeake Boat Yard for the evening. Here we found another interesting site. A military post had been set up on the boat yard property. It looked like a small invasion was planned - 4-6 large tents, trucks and plenty of what I can only assume were ammunition boxes were visible. At the dock sat 4 camouflage speed boats with multiple machine guns and rocket launchers mounted on deck. It appeared the Dismal Swamp was well protected and any pirates didn't stand a chance! Aaargh!

The Admiral

One Big Hop...

2011-05-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

Over 900 miles of the ICW awaited us. Ugh. I know that sounds terrible, but it is true. The Captain and I have grown weary of the ICW. I know many of you aspire to travel it one day and when that opportunity occurs seize it and go, but for us after several trips up and down it is merely a highway.

Fortunately there are alternatives and one of those is to bypass the ICW and hop to Atlantic waters. We opted for just that and departed Fort Pierce bound for Beaufort, NC. It would be our most ambitious offshore sail ever but we were motivated by the knowledge that we'd be traveling the with the gulf stream.

So off we went. Day 1 met us with light breezes - too light actually. Yet we traveled along. By nightfall the first day, the winds began to pick up and pick up and pick up. Shortly after sunset we found ourselves reefing the main in an effort to slow ourselves down. Sure we love to travel fast but sometimes on a boat there is a sense of too fast and we had found it. I can only equate it to that out of control feeling you get riding a bike down a really steep hill when you realize you are at the mercy of the bike and the road ahead. Despite the reef in the main, we continued to move and quickly put a first and then a second reef in the jib. Even with all the reefing we were cruising along at 9-10 knots in near darkness - just a sliver of moon above.

We welcomed sunrise on day 2. While all that we could see was ocean, it was still wonderful to see our surroundings. By this time we were well within powerful force of the gulf stream. We anticipated 2-3 knots of favorable current to assist our travels and were surprised that we were pushed an additional 4-5 knots as the current pushed northward. We maintained the reefs in the sails, but the wind and water pushed us 11+ knots throughout the morning making quick work of our journey. Unfortunately the wind and the stream would not last. By the afternoon the wind began to subside and the current began to move eastward of our position. We slowed down considerable - actually it felt like we'd stopped - especially given the speeds we'd been traveling earlier in the day. We opted to turn over the port engine to do some motorsailing and were surprised that the engine purred but provided no propulsion - BIG UGH! What could be wrong?!

We brainstormed what could be wrong and the only thing we could come up with was that we'd lost a propeller. We eventually slowed down the boat so the Captain could stick his head overboard with a mask and snorkel. Yep - no propeller. Well thank heaven for twin engines. Nonetheless, we felt vulnerable with a single engine and were anxious to get into shore. We were making excellent progress and would reach Beaufort at about sunrise.

At nightfall, I'd told the Captain I expected it to be a quiet evening with little commercial traffic. Afterall, we were between two channels sailing a course that should be north of the shipping lanes. I can't believe how wrong I could have been. In the late night darkness we heard a broadcast over the VHF. A Navy warship was in the area and would be conducting firing practice. Based on the ships coordinates we were well out harms way - but close enough to hear the booms that resonated from the guns. As the evening to continued to unfold, we continued to hear the firing practice but also began to see lights skirting at high speeds across the water. It was nothing short of weird. We decided to hail the Navy warship to see if our courses were converging. We shared coordinates and confirmed that we were well away from eachother. Then the radio operator on the warship said something that REALLY got our attention, "perhaps it is one of the other ships in our entourage." Dave and I looked at each other - other ships??? We turned on the radar and we shocked to see that we were essentially surrounded by 10-15 vessels most traveling the waters in darkness. So much for a quiet evening of sailing!

Just as expected, the lights of the Beaufort channel began to emerge. We would reach the channel at sunrise and what luck we'd also catch the tidal change and get a push upstream. By the time we reached Beaufort, our adrenaline had kicked in. We intended to stop and sleep, but neither of us could. Instead we continued to move and would put 50 more miles behind us before dropping the hook for the day.

Two hundred miles to go....just two hundred. We continued to worry about having lost the propeller. Why was it lost? Could we lose the other? Then what would we do? This anxiety pushed us ahead. Our only shore stop would be Elizabeth City where we'd arrive just in time for their first Farmers Market of the season - a sure sign of spring! The market was great. We stocked with some much needed fruits and veggies, picked up a homemade peach cobbler and even found some fresh cheese. Yum. We'd also find old friends. Steve and Jean on Suncat would travel the rest of the way with us.

Despite our rush, we had fun. We stopped at the NC Visitor Center one evening. We saw Robert, Lockmaster at the Deep Creek lock, and was able to deliver the conch shells we'd collected for him in the Bahamas. Eventually we made it to the marina. Mark and Alice on Greylag were there to welcome us. Jim, Kathy and four legged Murphy from Charm arrived shortly thereafter with champagne to celebrate our arrival.

The sailing season was ended. All that remained was the haul and tear down. What a marvelous season it had been. We really couldn't have asked for more. Yet we would be blessed one more time this journey. On haulout, we discovered why the prop fell off. The locking nut had broken off - a mechanical failure. Dave called the manufacturer and they graciously agreed to replace the propeller. How wonderful!

So this will be our last post for the season. We hope you drop back in this fall to join us for another season on Tropical Breeze. In the meantime, have a wonderful spring and an even better summer.

The Admiral

Photo: Elizabeth City Farmers Market

The Crossing...

2011-05-07T05:27:00.001-07:00

Our crossing from the Bahamas to Florida would be a three day event. First, we departed Green Turtle and sailed to Allan's Pensacola (23 miles).

On day two we sailed another 32 miles to reach Great Sale Cay. This then positioned us for the third and biggest day - 117 miles back to Fort Pierce, Florida.

All along the Bahama banks we continued to fish. I lost track of how many barracuda we caught and tossed back - at least 10. The fishing was looking like lots of work and no yield until both lines started humming and Dave and I struggled to bring in two fish that were - most definitely - not barracuda. Unfortunately, one smart fellow would get away, but we managed to haul in his twin a real nice 24 inch mutton snapper. Dave and I have been really pleased with the fish we've been able to catch while in the Bahamas, but let me tell you this mutton snapper is the BEST!!!! Despite its 24 inch length, it yields almost as much as a 42 inch mahi and it tastes - oh my!! You can definitely bet we will be fine tuning the tackle box to catch more mutton snapper next year!

Oh yes, but the main event wasn't the fish, it was the last 117 mile leg into Florida. Chris, on Romany, and Dave could not have planned it any better. We crossed the last 50 mile stretch of the banks by nightfall and entered Atlantic waters. The weather was great, the timing excellent as we crossed the stream and found ourselves at the Fort Pierce entrance at sunrise.

What an incredible journey it has been. Can you believe that we traveled over 1100 miles in our 12 weeks in the Bahamas. Hard to imagine there is that much territory to cover and even harder to imagine that there is plenty we haven't yet seen. Well there is always next year.

But wait, don't think it is over just yet, because there is lots of mileage left to cover. Our final destination is the Chesapeake.

The Admiral

Green Turtle Cay...

2011-05-07T05:11:00.001-07:00

At Green Turtle Cay we celebrated Easter and attended services at their beautiful new church St. Peters (Photo 1). Afterwards, we joined friends on Romany and Iolar for lunch at Pineapples Grill.

It would be our last opportunity to visit with Walt and Lynn on Iolar as we would be heading north with Romany and postioning ourselves for the big crossing back into Florida. It is amazing how quickly the time has gone. We've been in the Bahamas for 12 weeks, but it certainly seems much less than that.

But before we go, we must take a walking tour of Green Turtle. We did this on Easter Monday - a Bahamian holiday - so town was quiet. Despite the quiet, the Sculture Garden was open and we were able to view the bronze sculptures of some of the most prominent citizens of the Bahamas (Photo 4). We also passed the old jail. Certainly not a place I'd want to spend time in during the hot Bahamian summer (Photo 3).

The Admiral

Guana Cay...

2011-05-07T04:50:00.001-07:00

From Marsh Harbor it was off to Guana Cay. Such a taxing day having to travel 5 miles to the next big stop. That is one of the amazing differences between the Abacos and the other island chains in the Bahamas. The Abacos are much more compact with lots of interesting things to do in a small area. Whereas the other Bahamain island chains are more widespread.

Nonetheless, lunch at Guana met with tough choices. Do we lunch at the well known oceanside beach bar Nippers or the popular beachside bar Grabbers. Hmmmmm. Tough choices, but we eventually chose Grabbers as it offered a bit more shade and views of Tropical Breeze in a distance.

Lunch was great and the day was still young so the Captain and I decided to navigate the Whale passage and head up to Green Turtle for the evening.

The Admiral

Marsh Harbor...

2011-04-25T04:26:00.000-07:00

In Marsh Harbor we had SO much to celebrate!

We met up with friends from West Wind and Finn MacCool who we hadn't seen since we left Florida. They had spent their seasons in the Abacos and it was great to get together once again. Eric and I shaked some booty on the dance floor as did Eric's grandson Ben (Photo 2).

We also celebrated Lynn, from Iolar's, birthday (Photo 3) - more reason to boogie!

As if spending time with friends wasn't enough, the weather remained great and a group of us went over to snorkel Mermaid Reef. What a great spot! Lots of fish, beautiful water and accessible from the beach. The parrotfish were amazing. They were in all sorts of colors - purples, greens, yellows and my favorite - blues (Photo 5).

But perhaps the biggest celebration was from the Captain. Our arrival in Marsh Harbor included access to the largest supermarket we'd seen since leaving the US. While there the Captain found ice cream on sale and not just a 2 quart tub it was a 1 gallon tub!! The price $10.99. I know this sounds high, but after cruising the islands for 3 months where the going price for 2 quarts of ice cream is $9-$11, this tub of Breyers was both a treat and a bargain.

More to come.

The Admiral

Man-O-War...

2011-04-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

At Man-O-War we were greeted by our friend Vince on Fin Macool. Vince, like several of our friends, had spent the winter season in the Abacos using Man-O-War as a base. As always, it is great to see good friends.

In town, we bummed around and rediscovered the Albury Sail Shop. The Captain and I had been here once before - about 15 years ago. Back then we purchased several canvas bags which have served as our toiletry bags ever since. The shop is still going strong and has expanded its selection from what we remember.

Next stop - Marsh Harbor.

The Admiral

Hopetown...

2011-04-22T17:10:00.001-07:00

We left the Eleuthera's and traveled 50+ miles north to the Abacos. Our first stop Hopetown.

Many of you may recognize Hopetown from its distinctive candy striped lighthouse. Here we would be meeting someone new, Jean, the Aunt of a friend of ours. We didn't know what to expect when meeting her, but we were delighted to find an experienced sailor with whom we could trade stories and thoroughly enjoy spending time with. Jean introduced us to Captain Jacks where we played Jacks (local bingo), enjoyed cocktails and just had a wonderful time with Jean and her friends Betty and Ann.

We enjoyed strolling the streets of the small community and climbing the 101 steps to the lighthouse where we were able to get some extraordinary views of the harbor.

We had a wonderful time. Thank you Jean for your wonderful hospitality. We look forward to seeing you again next year.

The Admiral

PS. Yes, I have gotten another haircut. This time....even shorter than the last.

Photo 1: Jean and the Admiral

Photo 2: Hopetown Lighthouse

Photo 3: Harbor view from the lighthouse

Photo 4: The Captain and the Admiral with Tropical Breeze in the background

More Drama...

2011-04-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

Our journey to Spanish Wells started well enough. We left Governors Harbor on a light wind day anticipating we'd be able to sail 4 knots to Current Island. The wind continued to fill in nicely and by mid-day we found ourselves doing 6.5 -7 knots. Despite a reef in the jib to slow ourselves down, we arrived at Current Cut early and dropped the anchor for a while awaiting a tidal change as the force of water through the Cut can be quite brisk if you catch it at the wrong time. Our journey through the Cut was fine and we dropped the hook for the evening behind Meeks Patch in plenty of time to enjoy a splendid sunset.

The next morning we hoisted the anchor and headed for Spanish Wells. The community is the major fishing town in the Bahamas exporting about 75% of the fish exported in the Bahamas from this small town. We anticipated that we would pick up a mooring ball early and have the bulk of the day to play ashore. We would be wrong.

As we left our anchorage, a large ferry boat was coming in. Moving slower than the ferry he entered the channel first stirring up the sand below. We followed, with poor visibility, and neglected to see the rock ledge that jutted into the channel. With the tide being almost low Tropical Breeze's 4 foot + draft was not sufficient to clear the rock ledge and the starboard hull went aground. We tried to get off - a mistake we would regret later - but no, we were stuck in the channel until the tide came up blocking large boat traffic into the channel for a time.

So instead of a full day ashore exploring we spent 3 hours lounging around aboard warning channel traffic of our presence as they approached. Fishermen would stop by occassionally to see if they could help, but unfortunately all we could do was wait for the tide. At one point a man in a small skiff approached us saying we had to move because the supply freighter was approaching. Fortunately we were able to hail the approaching freighter on the radio and he detoured to the eastern channel entrance avoiding us in the western channel.

The tide rose high enough and by about 1pm we were away from the rock ledge and headed to our mooring assignment. The Captain snorkeled around the boat to assess the damage. We were fortunate that the rudder, saildrive and prop were undamaged. Unfortunately, the back corner of the keel was not so lucky and is now about 3 inches shorter than it once had been. (This damage was not done by hitting the rock but instead by us as we tried to maneuver away from the rock.) Yet that is one of the functions of a keel, to protect the more vital steering and propulsion systems behind them. The damage does not impede our travels it just creates a new project for the Captain once Tropical Breeze is hauled out for the season. Nonetheless, ugh.

We finally made it ashore and found that the fishing industry created an affluence to the community we had not seen elsewhere in the Bahamas. The cemetery was beautiful with its array of floral wreaths covering many of the gravesites. The transportation was unique also. This is the first community we've seen branch out of the typical use of cars and trucks into bicycles, motor scooters and golf carts. Some other interesting things - no bars or liquor stores in Spanish Wells.

The Admiral

Governors Harbor...

2011-04-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day in the Bahamas. En route from Rock Sound to Governors Harbor we managed to hook a yellowtail snapper. He was small (16 inches) but sufficient enough to be dinner.

All was going along great when the Captain noticed that the port bilge pump light was on. Water - uh oh. The Captain started madly checking the bilges from the stern forward and finally found that we had water running in the bilge under our bunk. The water was fresh water not salt. At first he thought the port side water tank had ruptured. On further inspection he realized that the hose on the water pump had come loose and that all the water from both the port and starboard water tanks had just gone into the bilge. While this sounds devastating, the reality is that the problem was not bad at all. The Captain reattached the hose and we turned on the watermaker to again begin refilling the tanks. The biggest mess is that the space underneath our bunk is our dry goods pantry. Fortunately, we keep all our paper products in Ziploc big bags which kept everything dry except the bag itself. A bit of clean up and we were back in action.

The Admiral

Rock Sound...

2011-04-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

One of the first things that we noticed about Rock Sound on approach was that it appeared to be a town of substance. By substance we mean that it appeared to be many buildings, even many streets which is more than we had seen at previous stops. Once ashore, we discovered that the community by land was not as large as it appeared by sea, but still large enough to have one of the best grocery stores that we'd seen in months! While our provisions continue to hold us well there were some things that we no longer had available on board. The biggie being potato chips. It was great to walk into a store with a great selection and a price tag that didn't make you cringe (too much).

The big attraction in Rock Sound is the Ocean Hole. It is a big salt water pond that has an unknown outlet to the sea. The locals use it as a swimming hole as the fresh water run off accumulates and sits on top of the salt water making for a more pleasant swimming experience.

Next stop Governor's Harbor.

The Admiral

Little San Salvador...

2011-04-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

We found a great weather window to head north and away we went. Sailing across the Exuma Sound we hooked our second mahi mahi of the season. A bit bigger than the last - measuring in at 42 inches. A bit more challenging than the last as well as the reel began to give way and we weren't sure we would be able to reel the fish in but we managed. The Captain donned gloves and pulled the line in while I managed to get the line back onto the reel. Nonetheless, well worth the additional effort.

Little San Salvador was easy to spot on approach. It had a huge Carnival cruise ship anchored off of it. No surprise as the island is Carnival's private island. What was a surprise, however, is our second day there we had no cruise ship in. This gave the Captain and I the opportunity to go ashore and explore. The beach was great. We even found a hammock to swing in for a while.

But weather has been good which means we should continue to move rather than lazy away our time on the beach. So onward we continue.

The Admiral

Emerald Bay Marina...

2011-04-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

We haven't stayed in a marina since our arrival in Bimini. It has been two months since we last had showers on land. Laundry has been getting done at the occasional laundramat we would find (and find acceptable) - otherwise we were resorting to doing laundry in a bucket and hanging it out on the life lines to dry. You might call it roughing it, but given the surroundings we enjoy on a daily basis, you might not.

What I am getting at is.... it was time. Time to pamper ourselves a bit and find a dock with some facilities to get a few necessary chores done. The destination....Emerald Bay Marina..... about 10 miles north of Georgetown but once we pulled in and sampled the land based accomodations it felt like a world away.

The showers are phenomenal with a wonderfully unlimited source of hot water and toiletries to boot. The laundry room even better. Equipped with fairly new big front loading machines - we did six big loads and it is so wonderful to have everything on board clean again.

For dinner we decided to treat ourselves and walked over to the restaurant at a local resort. Dinner was splendid and the poolside atmosphere relaxing.

It was a great last stop before we begin the journey north. But just because we are headed north doesn't mean there aren't new and exciting destinations in store. Stay tuned for more fun!

The Admiral

The Jumentos...

2011-04-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Finally - a weather window. So off we went towards Man of War Cay in the Jumentos. The journey was fast as we were pushed easily 6.5+ knots.

As always while in deep water, the lines were out in hopes of catching dinner. Fortunately, as the sun began to fall in the late afternoon one of the lines took off. You could easily see the brillant green and yellow coloring of a mahi on the end as it zipped through the waves attempting to free itself from the hook. But no, today the mahi would be ours - a new first!

We cleared Man of War Cut after sunrise and found our way to Flamingo Cay where we dropped the hook. Once rested, we opted to check out the fishing opprtunities and managed to snag a few conch for supper.

From Flamingo we moved onto Water Cay where the spearfishing ensued. Each day for days we went out trying to snag a fish and after three days of trying our only reward was a triggerfish that the Admiral managed to spear. It was a challenge to fillet, but was a fine meal.

The Captain and I have decided that if spearfishing was the only option that we would starve. More practice is definitely required. For now we will depend more on rod and reel in hopes that a second mahi may be in our future.

The Admiral

The Acklins...

2011-04-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Well after a great adventure, we have returned to the world of internet accessibility. There is much to share....

When we last left you we were leaving Georgetown and headed south towards the Acklins Islands. We awaited high tide and off we went through Hogs Cay Cut with full sail up zipping along to the tip of Long Island where we dropped the hook for the night. Day two of our sailing would be a bit more challenging as the winds shifted and began to really kick up as we approached the Acklins. We would spend our first night in the Acklins in a bouncy anchorage as the winds whipped around and water splashed along the hulls.

Yet the next day would prove to be well worth the struggle. The winds quit and we hoisted the hook and sailed to North Cay (part of the Acklins chain). There we would stay for two nights enjoying the calm waters and the sealife. We took in our first spearfishing lesson from our friends on Phoenix and would come home with two lobster. Unfortunately, we speared neither of them (Karen did) but Dave found the larger of the two so we took home the prize. From the photo, I know it is difficult to determine size, but know that the smaller lobster yielded a 6 1/2 inch tail so the larger - oh my!

Despite the fun, weather would continue to be our nemisis. We headed inland to the protection of the islands as more wind came. In fact we would spend several days aboard, just waiting for the weather to break. Our highlight throughout it all was that the Captain and I would see our first green flash! About a week into our journey, we received an invitation from two other boats in the area to do a land tour of Acklins Island. After several days aboard it sounded like the perfect getaway. So off we went, with Bernice as our guide, we discovered every bonefishing lodge and bar on the northern part of the island. We also met Auntie Maude one of the young at heart senior residents who has no fear of speaking her mind.

Finally the weather would calm and the fishing would once again proceed. We'd find four more lobster for the freezer - the Captain three, the Admiral one. The key difference this time is that the Captain and I without aid from others would harvest them - SUCCESS!

With the wind from the north returning to Georgetown would not be possible so instead we turned west and headed to the Jumentos.

The Admiral

Georgetown - At Last!!!

2011-03-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

We made it - finally - to Georgetown!!! Known as the winter cruiser playground, Georgetown hosts about 350+ boats each season. The community, while the largest in the Exumas, is small but has everything a cruiser needs - water, fuel, provisions, hardware, internet and ice cream!

Our arrival coincided with the start of the two week Cruiser Regatta which includes lots of activities. We've opted to keep participation rather low key as this is our first visit. We've enjoyed the weather seminars and several of the infosessions. We've left the more 'entertaining' events to others and have very much enjoyed just observing. One such event is the coconut harvest - in which teams paddle out to coconuts launched in the harbor and race to collect them . Understand, of course, that your paddle is a swim fin and you are limited by having to wear an inflated PFD. Furthermore, I think many of the participants may have been rum impaired. Nonetheless, fun was had by all.

Somehow, two weeks has past. We can hardly believe we've been here that long but we have. So it is time to move on. Our next stop is the Acklins islands. We will be out of touch for several weeks but hope to have some great photo footage - both above and below sea level on our return.

The Admiral

Photo 1: Around Georgetown

Photo 2: The Anchorage

Photo 3: Entry to Lake Victoria

Photo 4: The town Dinghy Dock

Blackpoint...

2011-02-21T06:52:00.000-08:00

We put the Big Majors / Staniel islands behind us and enjoyed a great sail down to our next port of call - Blackpoint Anchorage. Here we found the second largest settlement in the Exumas (the first being Georgetown) and with that we found one market, three restaurants/bars and the best laundry facility we've seen since our arrival. So chores took precedence over play - for one day and then it was back to fun.

One day Blair, Laurie, the Captain and I dinghied out to the cut and enjoyed some snorkeling. Blair and Laurie brought their sea doo torpedo pack with them and we had fun zipping around the water with little effort. We enjoyed the variety of coral and reef fishes which swam around, while a barracuda watched. We also spotted a fish trap that was doing its job as it contained several varieties of fish.

Another great day.

The Admiral

2/20/2011

Thunderball Grotto...

2011-02-21T06:49:00.001-08:00

Still in the Big Majors/Staniel Cay area there was just one more bit of exploring to do before moving on. A definite not miss - the Thunderball Grotto - made famous by the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball.

We entered the cave at low tide and were greeted by lots of reef fish who swarmed around us enjoying the corn we had brought for them to eat. The natural holes in the ceiling of the cave provided great light for some interesting photos. Overall, the best snorkeling we've seen so far in the Bahamas.

The Admiral

Staniel Cay...

2011-02-21T06:42:00.000-08:00

Just around the corner from Big Majors is Staniel Cay. Blair, Laurie, Dave and I decided to dinghy over to check out the island.

It is a small community, with two small convenience stores, a boutique, a bread shop and the yacht club/marina. We bummed around town eventually finding our way to the yacht club where the pet sharks were in for their feeding. It was a great afternoon - then we decided to head back to the boats. Just one problem, we had all come in one dinghy and the propeller on the dinghy was slipping. Shortly after leaving Staniel Cay we turned around and headed back not wanting to tax the prop too much. Back at Staniel the search began for a new prop - the correct size not available - onto plan B. We asked a cruiser to take Dave back to the anchorage for our dinghy and tools. He returned and the boys began the task of 'bandaiding' the prop while Laurie and I took to task documenting 'our peril'. Within the hour the boys had the the fix in and we headed, in two dinghies, back to the boats.

Never a dull day in paradise.

The Admiral

Big Majors...

2011-02-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

First iguana....then pigs??? Yes, pigs. And more specifically - swimming pigs.

We left Exuma Park and enjoyed a great sail down to Big Majors. Once at anchor we took some lettuce to shore and were immediately greeted by the grunts of enthusiasm of the local pigs. A bit too much enthusiasm as one of the pigs tried to hop right into the dinghy. It was a shock to both the Captain and I but fortunately the pigs front legs were not sufficient to give him leverage into the dinghy and he quickly slid back into the water.

Thank heavens!

The Admiral

Exuma Park...

2011-02-14T05:04:00.000-08:00

Well, we can't have wonderful weather every day. A cold front has moved in and the winds have picked up out of the north. The sky has taken the sun and left us with lots of gray cloud cover. Winds have been brisk, averaging 20-25 (23-29 mph) knots the last several days with gusts up to 30 (35 mph).

We took advantage of the wind direction and sailed south to the Exuma Park where we have been enjoying life on a mooring ball throughout the blow as well as enjoyed many of the walking trails throughout the park.

Like many of the islands we've seen, the park is made of rock that the sand has worn over time making the walking paths quite interesting at times. Nonetheless we've found our way to the top of the hill experiencing the blow holes and Boo Boo Hill first hand while also enjoying some wildlife (pictured is a hermit crab we came across as well as the skeleton of a 52 foot sperm whale).

While we'd love to take in the underwater splendor of the park, we've opted to hold off until our northern journey in the spring when we hope the weather will be a bit more timid.

More to come.

The Admiral

2/12 - 2/14/2011

Gone Conching...

2011-02-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

Since our fishing efforts have yet to yield any 'edible' results and since our one attempt at lobstering was also fruitless - or is that lobsterless, we have decided to try out the sport of conching.

Perhaps a bit more our caliber, conching requires little skill. To successfully go conching you must (1) locate a beach with plenty of conch shells, (2) snorkel, wade, swim, dinghy, or through whatever other means seek out the shells with a full lip. These are the shells which are mature and available to harvest. Ah ha - I think we can handle this!

On our first attempt - yield = 5 conch vs. 6 conch limit - not bad!!! Dinner is served! Well perhaps not immediatly served because once you have the conch, you mush get the meat out of the shell, skin it, clean it and then cook it. As Admiral, I've opted to limit my conching efforts to the search and harvest. Cleaning, I've opted to leave to the Captain.

Nonetheless, we've had great fun, learned a lot, had a great meal and most importantly - have finally been able to put a fishing permit to use!!!

The Admiral

2/10/2011

Allens Cay...

2011-02-13T09:57:00.000-08:00

We left Nassau and sailed to Rose Island, a great jumping off spot for the Exuma Island chain. From Rose Island headed south across the Yellow Bank and into Allens Cay - our first stop in the Exumas!

At Allens we spent time with the locals - the last of the iguana population indigenous to the Bahamas. They seemed friendly enough, though one had a stare down contest with the Captain. Once we had taken in the action above sea level, we decided to look below and found clusters of beautiful purple coral. Unfortunately, the photos do not do justice.

The Captain and I are quickly adapting to the sun and warm weather. Its been in the 80's each day and we've been keeping ourselves well oiled with SPF 45. Nonetheless, the sun is getting through and we are both beginning to show color - even the Captain who very rarely tans!

One more day of fun here and then we will move on.

The Admiral

2/8 - 2/9/2011

Nassau (Part 2) ....

2011-02-07T12:56:00.001-08:00

To get to Paradise Island there is a bridge. A big bridge. We stood at the base of it on the Nassau side in awe. Afterall, the island isn't all that big yet the bridge is huge - 70 foot tall at center. On the far side stood the pink high rise of the Atlantis Resort. We debated, should we go or shouldn't we, and eventually grabbed a taxi to take us over the bridge.

What awaited us was an amazing blend of entertainment - shopping, a casino, waterpark, beach - all amongst a tranquil setting of sunny sky and water. While we were still absorbing the view we got a call on the radio from Ken and Francie on Release. Stomachs were grumbling and they were looking for dining companions. We strolled through the Atlantis marina - chuckling at how our 38 foot boat would be a wee small compared to all the 75+ foot power yachts tied up in the marina complex - before we caught a cab to Fish Fry Village.

Fish Fry Village was quite the contrast to Paradise Island - and much more my style. It is a collection of colorful restaurants along the water many serving meals outdoors on picnic tables. The menu was just as you'd expect - lots of fish - mostly fried. After a day of footing (mostly) around Nassau fried conch, fries and a cold beverage hit the spot.

One more crossing awaits! Then the Exumas!

The Admiral
2/6/11

Nassau (Part 1)

2011-02-07T05:54:00.000-08:00

We left the solitude of our anchorage in White Cay and traveled 40 - 45 miles toward big city of Nassau, where 75% of the Bahamian population resides. Throughout the southeastern journey we attempted to contact our friends on Release and ChrisJen, but unfortunately could not reach them. We eventually gave up anticipating that they had trekked further south and out of radio range.

That afternoon we found a pleasant anchorage west of Nassau and eased in to drop the hook. Two other sailboats were inside and we were delighted to hear the radio come alive with Mike from ChrisJen welcoming us into their bit of paradise. Both ChrisJen and Release had been enjoying several days in the anchorage. What luck that we should meet up with them.

Our anchorage, as it turns out, is on just off the main street headed into Nassau. We were able to catch a bus just up the street and for $1.25 ride one way into the city. Mike, Lou, the Captain and I did just that. Spending the day with so much exploring that I am opting to break our adventure into two posts.

Our morning started at the corner of Bay and George Street where we left the bus and headed up the street to the Columbus statue. Plenty of photos later and a near miss of having the camera run over in the street, we left the famed explorer behind and began our own expedition. First stop - the ice cream parlor.

Having consumed our fill we headed in-shore towards Fort Fincastle. One of three forts near the city, Fort Fincastle sits atop a hill with a great overlook of the harbor. Nearby is the Queen's Staircase. An escape route from the fort carved out of the rock heading towards the sea. The staircase is remarkable. The effort to remove the rock and allow passage was immense given the depth of the cavern.

By mid-day our feet were beginning to ache. The pedometer said we had logged many steps and it was time to find some air conditioned comfort. So off to Paradise Island we went.

The Admiral

2/5 - 2/6/2011

Are We There.... Really?

2011-02-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

Did I say we were in the Bahamas. Perhaps I should have prefaced that by saying we are in the western - far western - Bahamas. For once we arrived in Bimini, I had forgotten that the next challenge would be the 60-70 mile stretch across the Great Bahama Bank to the Berry Islands. Huh....60 -70 miles....yeah my thoughts exactly. Who'd have thought a small grouping of islands could cover so much territory.

Nonetheless we were off - GO EAST! We sailed and sailed and sailed. It didn't help that we were headed into the waves and on quite the beat to make some mileage. We dropped hook the first night - or was it morning? - around midnight - not entirely sure where we were given the darkness surrounding us. In the morning we woke anticipating we'd see the Berry Islands to our north and east. No, that would be too easy. We woke and found ourselves surrounded by clear water and not a speck of land in sight.

Fortunately, within a few hours we found a delightful anchorage between Great and Little Stirrup Cay in the Berrys. Some of you may recognize these islands as they are private islands owned by Norwegian and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. We enjoyed the day at anchor with not a cruise ship or passenger in sight taking in the sun and scenery.

From the Stirrups we headed around the north end of the Berry's to White Cay anchorage. Our passage got exciting as my fishing pole started whirring - FISH ON! DINNER? Well no fish dinner tonight as the Captain reeled in the 2 1/2 to 3 foot fish and found it was a barracuda. We pitched him back to live another day.

At White Cay we would spend two days surrounded by a series of 4-5 islands each featuring at least one beach. We truly could have spent a week here sampling a new beach each day. We pulled out our looky look bucket - a new addition this season - and took in the scenery under the sea. We found ourselves chasing sting rays in the dinghy in an effort to get a glimpse of them through the bucket.

After three glorious days in the Berry's we've opted to move on. Another good sized passage awaits and then we hope to find Nassau.

The Admiral
2/1 - 2/4/2011

PS. Christopher on Tiffany Rose. Every time we pull out the looky look bucket we think of you and our day of fun at Sombrero Key. We hope you are enjoying the New Year!

Arrival Bimini...

2011-01-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

Can it be true? Yes, we are in the Bahamas!! It was a bit of a battle in the Gulf Stream as the Stream kept trying to push us north of our destination but in the end Tropical Breeze won out and we have arrived!!

Our experience thus far - in a word - spectacular. The sun is shining, the sky clear, the water a clear green that you can see to the bottom in 25+ foot. The fish are plentiful and we are looking forward to casting our lines to see if we get any nibbles. But the best part - and we haven't even sampled it yet - the water temperature is 81 degrees.

For today, we tied up at the Bimini Big Game Club (where Ernest Hemingway hung out) and made our way to customs and immigration where we completed all the necessary paperwork and got our stamp of approval. From there it was back to the boat where we both enjoyed a nap following our overnight cruise. Then it was time for the serious stuff - dinner with friends Ken, Francie, Mike and Lou including a discussion of where to next. A big meal and several drinks later the jury is still out on what is next. The group will reconvene in the morning following the weather report for a final decision.

So stay tuned. The fun is just getting started.

The Admiral

1/29 - 1/30/11

Ready to Roll...

2011-01-29T04:38:00.000-08:00

Well with the new wind transducer installed and the steaming light repaired, the projects are finished. The weather is cooperating nicely as the northerlies are moderating and the temperatures improving. It is looking like a fine morning to push off from the dock!

Yesterday as a final Florida hurrah, we attended a Pig Roast sponsored by one of the local yacht sales companies. It was a big bash with lots of food, drink and music. A good sendoff as we trek towards our first Gulf Stream crossing.

Next stop, the Bahamas!!!!

The Admiral

1/29/2011 8am

Getting Ready....

2011-01-23T15:32:00.001-08:00

Has it been nearly 3 weeks since my last post? Hard to believe!!

We've been busy working through some of our boat projects. The Captain was up the mast taking down the non-functioning wind transducer. The watermaker installation is FINALLY complete. And the list just goes on and on.

But the work will not be in vain, as we are hopeful that at the end of the month we will be able to cross to the Bahamas. Yes, you heard right.....after three years in the making, we think we are finally going to do it.

We are awaiting the new wind transducer which should arrive early next week. Once that is installed we will be headed south to the Miami area and looking for a weather window to cross to the islands.

More to come.

The Admiral

PS. Our New Year resolutions are finally starting to pay off. The Captain has lost 8 pounds and I've lost 7. Not a bad start.

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-03T10:45:00.001-08:00

We certainly hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are enjoying the New Year - with your resolutions still intact!

The Captain and I have some resolutions of our own that we are pursuing. First, the Admiral - I've been getting rather frustrated with my hair as of late. So my resolution was to get rid of it and gone it is. I am loving the short cut especially with the warm weather that we are once again experiencing in Florida!

The Captain and I's joint resolution will be no surprise - drop some pounds and get more exercise. We've both been doing well on both counts. It was not our intention to make this our New Year resolution ....... but ......we welcomed in the New Year with a bit of fun overload and after 3 parties in two days decided perhaps we needed to cut back a bit on the New Year fun factor.

Of course it all began on New Year's Eve. We wanted to take in the final sunset of the year so the Happy Hour began at 5:15pm. It was a great turn out with about 75 boaters and lots of goodies to sample. By 7:30pm the first bottle of champagne was uncorked in celebration of boater's midnight - 8pm. Another toast at 9pm for second boater's midnight. Then a third at 10pm ..... well you get the idea. By the 'real' midnight I had the Captain on the dance floor doing quite the boogie woogie.

More fun continued on New Year's Day as we enjoyed brunch with friends. Lots of goodies. More champagne and Cesears too. Oh my. After brunch I was in need of a nap!

Then our friend Rod came home. We couldn't welcome Rod home without a bit of fun. Especially with the welcome home treat that awaited him on board. Our friends Russ and Linda had decided to have a bit of fun and wrapped the interior of Rod's boat in aluminum foil. Yes, I said aluminum foil and yes, the whole darn boat interior. With the shock and awe of Rod's arrival behind us it was off to the Harborage Grill where we had great plans to swim and enjoy the hot tub. Unfortunately, the weather was a bit cool so we opted to sit in the bar instead and enjoy more bar fare. It was here that a group of us decided we needed to all eat less and exercise more in the New Year.

As of January 3, the Captain and I are doing well on the resolution. Friend Ellen and I have picked up the pace of our morning walk and are now jogging parts of it. We are doing what we can to eat better and staying away from Happy Hour for a while. We will keep you posted on the results.

The Admiral

1/1/2011 - 1/3/2011

Arctic Weather Continues...

2010-12-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

We've received messages from many of you wishing you were in sunny Florida with us. Well in case you've missed the latest national weather forecast, Florida has been sunny - yes - but not balmy beach weather. Sure we've had highs in the mid-50's during the day, but it has been getting darn chilly at night. Additionally, winds have been fierce - 40 mph yesterday making the trek from the mooring field to the dinghy dock a bit damp and challenging.

We are hoping the brisk weather will break soon!

The Admiral

12/10 - 12/14/10

Man Overboard!!!

2010-12-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

I'd like to preface this entry by stating that what you are about to read is true. There has been no (or very little) embellishment to the tale.

Our story begins with a dinner invitation from Alain and Judy on Rhama. The Captain, Eric, Ellen and I were all invited and we dinghied out to Alain and Judy's boat Rhama for our evening of fun. A lovely dinner was followed by great conversation. As the evening continued I excused myself to step into the restroom. At about the same time Eric stepped out on deck for some "fresh air". Moments later I saw a shadow pass by the bathroom window followed by a splash and a short cry for help. I confess, it didn't register with me until seconds later when a much more definitive plea for help in Eric's voice reached my ears.

Meanwhile, the others were continuing conversations in the salon, unaware of Eric's fate. There was only one thing I could do - I shouted to the others from my perch that Eric had fallen overboard. A scurry from the salon to the stern followed by shouts confirmed that Eric was indeed overboard clinging to Rhama's starboard door which had come off its track in Eric's fall.

After assessing that Eric was not in an immediate state of drowning the group did what every friend would do in a similar situation. We pulled out the cameras and immediately started taking photos of the event. You never know when a few incriminating photos may come in handy!!!

Next we saved the door. Its an excellent piece of hardwood that Alain made himself so we had to make sure it was not lost. Meanwhile, Dave took off to save a piece of trim that had also come off in all the commotion.

Finally, we pulled Eric to safety. (We wish we had photos of him doing his doggie paddle, but in all the excitement that shot was missed.) Yet as you can see we have plenty of other great shots. Eric dripping wet after being pulled from the river. Eric being stripped of his wet clothes - not by his wife - but the two other ladies on board. (I think Eric secretly relished this bit of fun.) And finally, Eric dressed in the red bathrobe already retelling his tale of terror.

The amazing thing is I was just wondering the other day what in the world I would have to share with all of you.....who knew Eric would give me a juicy tidbit to post!!

The Admiral

12/9/2010

PS. Yes, Eric is just fine. A bit embarrassed, but just fine!

Central Florida aka the Arctic...

2010-12-09T04:29:00.000-08:00

A quick check of the weather had us quickly revising our plans to depart St. Augustine. Our offshore weather window would be closing in 48 hours and while this was ample time for our passage to Ft. Pierce, we always like to have a bit of cushion just in case Mr. NOAA's timeline was off. So instead of a leisurely Saturday in St. Augustine, we opted for a pre-dawn departure.

Now, fellow boaters please take note, when departing St. Augustine in the dark beware of unlit red markers - these are also undocumented on our chartplotters. Fortunately, it was an uneventful departure and we navigated our way past them, but a surprise nonetheless. Offshore proved to be our best run yet. Speeding along at an easy 7+ knots. We dropped the hook in Ft. Pierce about 27 hours later.

After a few hours sleep the question became - what next. We were 2 weeks ahead of schedule for our slip in Stuart and a mere 25 miles away. A quick call to the marina in Stuart and we were on our way again. Not to a slip but a mooring ball. That would do us fine for the time being.

On arrival we quickly started to fall into our routines from last season. Friends Eric and Ellen greeted us and Ellen and the Admiral began making plans for morning walks. The Captain and Eric had other pursuits - rib specials from PA's - as our arrival coincided with their anniversary and ribs were $9.99 and drafts $0.99.

Our arrival was also in time for the Stuart Holiday parade which included the local law enforcement, fire department, classic cars, school marhing bands and plenty of floats. The parade must have been a sign for Father Christmas to add a chill to the air as we've experienced near freezing temperatures each of the last two nights and highs only in the low 50's during the day.

Brrrrrr!!

The Admiral

11/24 - 12/9/2010

St. Augustine...

2010-12-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

We arrived in St. Augustine and were greeted by the new site of mooring balls in the north and south anchorages. How wonderful! Gone are the days of worrying about your neighbor dragging anchor.

Ashore, we enjoyed the downtown district taking in the pedestrian street, the fort and enjoying happy hour at Pizzalley. On the advice of friends Kevin and Marlene, we also took in the San Sebastian Winery. We'd walked past it on many occasions previously while enroute to the marine supply store but had never stopped in. It was great and will now be on the list of regular activities for future visits.

We also made it out to the lighthouse and old jail before heading off to the airport to drop off Matt. Speaking of Matt, 15 minutes after dropping him at the airport our week of wonderful weather came to an end. The sky opened up and it downpoured. Kudos to Matt's vacation timing.

More to come.

The Admiral
11/24 - 11/26/10

Fort George Island

2010-11-30T16:12:00.000-08:00

It was wonderful to leave Fernandina and head south on the intracoastal. We hadn't traversed this area of the ICW since the fall of 2008 as we had bypassed it by going outside into the Atlantic each of the last two years.

The weather was splendid - the best we'd seen in a November while cruising. In fact, the weather was so good that Matt questioned if we'd been lying to you all about previous weather related postings. We promise you we have not. Instead we can only say that the week of Thanksgiving brought with it the most wonderful 75-80 degree days filled with sunshine and such mild winds they could merely be described as breezes.

But onto Fort George and the Kingsley Plantation...

The plantation has had many owners since its 18th century roots but the most notable owners were the Kingsley's in the early 1800's. Zephaniah Kingsley and his African bride moved to the island where they and their slaves produced cotton. Zephaniah would become a very successful plantation owner adding to his acreage over time. He is remembered both for his business success but more importantly for his proactive stance on free blacks and his opinions against racial prejudice.

While the property still includes the old plantation house - now modified over time, the most interesting structures are the old slave quarters. They are built from tabby - cooked oyster shells (for lime), sand and water which when combined make a form of cement. Much of the cabins still stand after all these years and the oyster shells can be seen in the structures.

As interesting as this stop is we must be moving on.

The Admiral

11/23/2010

Florida!

2010-11-26T04:31:00.000-08:00

We crossed the St. Mary's river and poof we were in Florida. It felt odd. We've never made it to Florida this early in the season. Albeit we were in northern Florida, but Florida nonetheless. Similar to our southern Georgia wanderings, we would spend plenty of time at Amelia Island - a week on the mooring ball at Fernandina Beach Marina. Why - well its a great spot and we had lots of visitors planned.

Our first guests were Kevin and Marlene. Friends from back home, Kevin and Marlene are in the process of relocating to Florida. We had a great time catching up on each others adventures.

A few days later Dave's brother, Matt, joined us. Matt would be spending the Thanksgiving week with us.

With some wheels to get around in, we experienced Amelia Island beyond the Fernandina Hstoric District. We were quite surprised to see how Amelia quickly changes from the quaint downtown district to the 'burbs' with plenty of shopping and services. While we took the opportunity to stock the pantry, Matt chose more important stocking items - a bottle of Captain Morgan's to toast his holiday by.

While on the island we visited Fort Clinch State Park. Its an old Civil War fort that has been very well preserved. I'd love to show you photos, but unfortunately on this day I would forget the camera. We also enjoyed the beach and just exploring the Amelia neighborhoods.

With our Amelia touring complete it is time to give Matt a little taste of the intracoastal. So south we go.

The Admiral

11/16 - 11/22/2010

St. Mary's and Cumberland Island

2010-11-22T16:33:00.001-08:00

After several lazy days at Jekyll Island, it was time to move on. Next stop, St. Mary's Georgia. If St. Mary's sounds familiar to many of you it is because each of the last two years we have spent our Thanksgiving holiday there. Not this year. No, we have other plans. However, we did want to pop into town and check out the second hand bookstore as well as other happenings.

After St. Mary's we moved on to Cumberland Island. Unlike Jekyll, Cumberland has seen little change since our last visit. The mature trees and spanish moss still welcome you to the island. The horses and armadillos still roam at their leisure. The ruins of the old Carnegie mansion still stands large making one wonder what it would have been like to see Dungeness in its prime. The beach is a wonder as well - stretching for miles - it is almost as if you could walk along its white sandy shores for hours uninterrupted.

The Admiral

11/13 - 11/15/2010

Changes at Jekyll Island...

2010-11-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

Our offshore passage was what we expected it to be -negiligble winds and flat seas. We motored throughout the night and arrived at Jekyll Island the following morning.

Ashore at Jekyll, things are changing! The gas station has been torn down and a new and larger gas station /convenience store is going up in its place. The strip mall with the IGA and other stores has been vacated and all the shops relocated to trailers about a mile north. With the strip mall vacated, the plans are to knock down the strip mall and the convention center across the street and start fresh.

The new complex will feature more shops, the convention center and a new hotel. When finished it should be quite the sight!

We happened to be exploring the island the day before the mall and convention center were to come down so we thought it appropriate to feature a before shot with hopes that in 2-3 years we can feature the after shot.

More to come.

The Admiral

11/9 - 11/12/10

Land Ho...

2010-11-09T05:15:00.000-08:00

After nearly a week, we were ready for a little shore leave. Destination....Charleston, SC. We pulled into the marina and sprung into action. The fun would come but there were chores to be done - laundry, groceries and more.

Three loads of laundry and a grocery stock up later we were ready to explore. We headed downtown, walked through the market and enjoyed the sights and smells that are Charleston. Along our stroll we took in the architecture that is unique to the city, but you've seen that posted here before. So instead we happened on something we thought truly unique. A Ferrari parked next to a Maserati. Not pictured is the Mercedes that pulled up next to the cars shortly after we had snapped the photo. Quite the neighborhood.

What is next. Well the weather is warming into the 70's. The winds prediced to be negligible. The seas flat. We thought we'd try our hand again at an offshore voyage. Given our last experience we figure we'd prefer not enough wind to too much.

Next stop - Georgia - weather permitting.

The Admrial

11/7 - 11/8/201

At Sea

2010-11-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

Monday: On a beautiful morning we left Elizabeth City and motored toward the sunrise and into the Albermarle Sound. The wind picked up and Dave opted to put up the spinnaker. Within no time we were cruising along at 8+ knots. Then it happened....the spinnaker blew out ripping the sail in two. I can't believe it....it happened again. Those of you who have been reading our blog from the beginning may remember that in our first season we crossed the Albermarle Sound and the spinnaker burst - not only on the same sound but also in the same location on the sail. Ahhhh.... the Captain's frustrations were heard for miles.

But we persevere. So up went the main and genoa and we cruised the balance of the day. Certainly not at the 8+ knots we had been, but still a respectable speed. We ended the day with the hook down in the Pungo River (Mile 127.5).

Tuesday: Day two of the cruising adventure started with another gorgeous sunrise and another challenge. Today it would be Pamilco Sound and stiff northerly winds. The parade of boats began the journey and by the time we reached the sound there were sailboats everywhere. The southern migration was obviously in full swing. End day at Mile 187.

Wednesday: Day three was more of the same. Lots of boats. So many in fact that when we reached the anchorage at Mile Hammock Bay we feared we may not find a place to drop the hook. Fortunately we did and our friend Francie would later tell us that we were one of 29 boats in the small anchorage for the evening. Thank heavens Mother Nature decided to bless us with a quiet evening. (Mile 244.5)

Thursday: She got even. We woke to a dense fog the next morning. It delayed every one's start as we couldn't even see the boats anchored next to us let alone the ICW channel markers. Instead Dave and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and waited for the fog to lift. It did and the race to hoist anchors and be off was underway.

Yet Mother Nature wasn't done with her tricks. On this day she brought a fierce rain and cold wind that had Dave and I asking ourselves why we hadn't left a month sooner. Once we reached Wrightsville Beach most of the boaters chose to stop for the evening. Not wanting to experience another evening in a crowded anchorage, the Captain and I continued a few more miles finally dropping the hook around Mile 244.5.

Friday / Saturday: Isn't their a saying that boaters should never begin a journey on a Friday. Perhaps we should listen in the future. The day began sunny and breezy. We exited the Cape Fear inlet and found ourselves sailing along Atlantic waters. The wind was out of the west with an expected shift to the northwest later in the day. But as the afternoon progressed the westerly winds turn more southwest and we found ourselves either headed to the Bahamas or pointed straight into the wind to reach our Charleston destination. As the sun set storm clouds started to pop up and the winds picked up into the 20's with gusts to 30. The ride had become entirely too unpleasant.

Around 11pm making little headway into the wind we finally gave up Charleston as our destination and set course for the more northerly port of call, Georgetown, SC. Unfortunately, our bad luck would continue for as we reached the 17 mile long inlet the outgoing tide was in full force bringing Tropical Breeze to a 2.5 knot crawl with both engines humming. Seventeen miles at two and a half knots is a long way and we were exhausted once done. We dropped the hook and went down for some shut eye. The winds and tides still rallying around us.

The northerly wind shift finally came at 5:30 in the morning. The shift woke me up and I went out on deck. I watched for a while as the boat move with the winds and against the tide. It is always an interesting site to see these two forces battle against another. You never know which will win. Today wind won but in the midst of it all Tropical Breeze found a buoy marker and ran over the top of it. If you could imagine me in my sleepy state suddenly realizing that if I looked underneath the trampolines there was a yellow buoy marker flashing. Oh CRAP! I yelled for the Captain and was scared to death that we would never get ourselves out of the predicament without damage to the hulls. We somehow separated ourselves from the marker (it is all a blur) and were relieved when we realized the marker was encased in styrofoam hence no damage done. Close call!!

Wide awake now we anxiously waited for sunrise all the while keeping an eye on the nearby marker. We didn't want to hoist the anchor before the sun came up as we feared that the anchor chain may have gotten wrapped around the marker and we'd need the sunlight to maneuver our way through the mess. As twilight broke anxiety got the best of us and we began hoisting the anchor. We were happy to realize that the chain had not wrapped around the mark.

Adrenaline overcoming the lack of sleep we continued the journey down the ICW finally choosing the quiet and solitude of Dewees Creek with which to drop the hook. Sleep finally came. We rose to watch a beautiful sunset and could hardly believe that less that 24 hours before the calm that surrounded us now had been fury. (Mile 454.9)

The Admiral

11/1/ 2010 - 11/6/2010

Trick or Treat?

2010-11-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

Halloween found us in Elizabeth City. The town is great for cruisers providing dockage at the town wharf and having a quaint downtown to explore. The Captain had high hopes of stopping at the local seafood place for his favorite - soft shell crab. Unfortunately it was Sunday and the restaurant is not open on Sundays.

Instead we enjoyed happy hour on board 'Release' with friends Ken, Francie, Mike, Lu and four legged friend Skipper. Yet it was Halloween so we should do some tricking or treating - shouldn't we? So we all opted for treating and walked up to the local Dairy Queen for our favorite ice cream treat. As you might imagine that made the Captain happy........and yes Dave's his Blizzard was EXTREME!

The Admiral

10/31/2010

The Dismal Swamp...

2010-11-01T03:32:00.000-07:00

One of the nice things about tying up at Elizabeth Dock is the next morning, before the first lock, you have the opportunity to have coffee with Lockmaster Robert. We did just that; catching up on all the local happenings. The lock had actually been on a restricted schedule due to drought until a heavy late September rain - 17 inches in less than 3 days. That took the Dismal Swamp from a drought situation to a flood and forced Lockmasters to start draining the excess water out of the canal. The dispersing the excess water created problems of its own. A shoal formed in the canal and a dredge was inside trying to move the excess earth.

After coffee, we continued our journey through the swamp encountering the dredge. We had fears that our wide beam would prevent us from passing. That would not be the problem. Instead the dredge held up canal traffic for 1 1/2 hours to move a pipe. Gridlock on the Dismal Swamp who'd have thought?! Fortunately being one of the last boats in the pack has its benefits. Sailboat ChrisJen stopped at the Wallaceton Tower bulkhead just before the 'traffic jam' and tied off. They let us raft to them. From behind came the power Trumpy Windrush who rafted to us. Now you really had a traffic jam with three boats rafted to each other in the canal. I wish I had a photo!!

The dredge did, eventually, allow traffic to pass but not until we deemed it too late to continue the journey to Elizabeth City. Instead we chose to stop at the dock between the South Mills lock and bridge for the night.

The Admiral

10/30/2010

Photo 1: Robert tending to a boat in the lock.

Photo 2: Robert's banana tree and conch shell collection

Photo 3: The swamp.

And We Are Off!

2010-10-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

The wind blew steady all night making Dave and I wonder whether or not we would be able to get off the dock. Come morning the wind had calmed and we took it as an opportunity to begin. Good thing we did because within an hour of our leaving the marina the wind started its steady blast. So much so that even before we reached the Chesapeake, Dave suggested we do something we had never done before - reef the main.

Admittedly we were flying a little blind. Our wind speed indicator is not working but nonetheless we both knew it was blowing a might harder than the 15 knots forecasted. By mid-morning we had our confirmation. Someone from the Navy came over the radio and announced to other Naval ships that the wind had averaged 30 knots for the last 10 minutes. Good thing we reefed the main.

Yet wicked wind is not all wicked. In this case it was out of the NNW and with our southbound heading it made for a fun and fast ride down the bay. We averaged 8-9 knots but at points were surfing 10+ down the waves.

Our journey was so quick that we passed our anticipated stopping point in Hampton Roads, zipped by Hospital Point, crossed underneath the Gilmerton Bridge and successfully locked through the Deep Creek lock and into the Dismal Swamp.

Already two days ahead of our albeit loose schedule, we pulled up to Elizabeth Dock for the night. What a great first day!

The Admiral

10/29/2010

Where Did Summer Go?

2010-10-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

Heavens can it be that time of year already? The summer has flown by and while we are excited to begin a new cruising season, it is hard to believe that November is already on us.

We had a great midwestern summer! The midwest heated up this year which made for some great days boating on Lake Michigan. We also spent time in Nova Scotia - beautiful country - visiting our friends Eric and Ellen on West Wind. (Thanks so much E&E!)

Lots of family activities kept us busy. Pictured here are photos from the annual family Corn Roast where we spent a weekend tubing down the river and eating pig and corn.

Boat work also entered into the mix with Tropical Breeze getting lots of pampering. We raised the water line two inches, gave her a new look with lots of bottom paint, modified the bimini, restitched the trampolines, a wash and wax and more.

But before we get too far down the road a few shout outs:

Thanks to Jim and Kathy (and Murphy too) on Charm who have agreed to take care of the "Silver Bullet" during our journey.

Also a call out to Dave, Shirley and Christopher. Sorry we missed your last blog comment until now. We hope you - and many others - had a wonderful summer on Tiffany Rose. And yes Christopher, I am once again in search of the elusive manatee this season.

So we are ready!! Let the southern journey begin!!

The Admiral

10/28/10

A Season Wrap Up...

2010-06-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

From Annapolis we traveled to the eastern shore community of Oxford which is another quaint town along the Chesapeake. There we met with fierce winds as we attempted to tie up to the town courtesy dock but once ashore enjoyed exploring town, seeing the waterman mural and taking in the views of all the picnic boats at the Hinckley Yard.

From Oxford we traveled the short way to San Domingo Creek and went into St. Michaels from the back door. Unlike many of the other small communities we visited, St. Michael's was open for business and I walked David's feet off viewing all the shops. After we were done the Captain rested his weary toes and sipped on a beer to recover.

With St. Michael's complete, our Chesapeake adventure was quickly coming to a close. It was time to head to the marina for - must I say it - haulout - ugh!

Fortunately, all went well with the haul and we have returned to the Midwest for what is shaping up to be a splendid summer. The Captain and I will part company with you here, but please join us again in the fall when the Adventures of Tropical Breeze continue. Who knows maybe, just maybe, we will FINALLY make it to the Bahamas!

Enjoy your summer!

The Admiral

Annapolis...

2010-05-31T08:30:00.001-07:00

We've seen Annapolis by land and by sea but no matter how we approach Annapolis, it is always one of our favorite stops.

Yet this time was different. It was the first time we approached Annapolis by sea during the sailing season and for the first time we learned exactly what it is like to approach the US Sailing Capital by water dodging other boaters as we approached.

Once in Annapolis I was anxious to get to land. We'd been to plenty of interesting little towns in the last week or so but one thing they all had in common was that their shopping districts were still closed for the season. Annapolis would be different. Shopping would be plentiful. In the end, we didn't buy anything, but we did find something we hadn't seen before - the electronic yodeling pickle. Perhaps, I'll just close with that.

The Admiral

5/16/2010

Tangier Island...

2010-05-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

Of all the places on the Chesapeake, the one 'must see' that everyone consistently spoke of was Tangier. So as we left Onancock on an overcast morning and set sail into Tangier Sound, the anticipation was high of what was to come. Our decision to approach from the Sound side was ideal. The minute we entered the channel we understood what makes Tangier Island so special. Along the channel was a long series of docks. The docks were filled with lots of local fishing boats, small shacks and more crab pots than we'd ever seen. It was an amazing view and in many respects we felt as if we'd stepped into Michener's novel "Chesapeake" for this was undoubtedly a community of watermen both past and present.

I'd read somewhere that over 60 million crab are fished out of the Bay each year. An unbelievable number. With a harvest that size annually it is amazing that the species is not overfished, but here is the amazing thing - just one female crab has the potential for laying 8 million eggs annually and the time to maturiity for a crab is 12-18 months. Talk about an amazing replenishing supply!!! I suppose the trick is to not contaminate the waters and somehow disrupt the ecosystem of the crab.

We eventually weaved our way up the channel and to Parks Marina where we tied up for the night. From there we set out on foot for a tour. The community has established plaquards to signify the location of historical places in the island's history. We enjoyed the stories of who's who in Tangier Island's past and quickly realized that the community was founded by about 5-6 families as the military monument and the cemetery headstones showed.

Unfortunately, our arrival was early in the tourist season and most of the island shops and restaurants were closed. In fact the only things we could find open were the grocery and the local sandwich shop. Nonetheless, we had a marvelous time.

The Admiral

5/13/2010

Onancock...

2010-05-14T13:29:00.001-07:00

After a great stay on the Rappahannock, it was time to move on. So we headed to the eastern shore to the small community of Onancock. It was a blustry day with the wind on the nose making for a rocky ride even with our two hulls. Yet the trip was well worth it. Once we serpentined through the Onancock channel and into the creek we found homes scattered across the waters edge.

The community is made up of about 1500 residents and Dave and I were amazed that everyone we passed waved to us - talk about small town hospitality. In fact the only thing missing was a bunch of townfolk sitting on Liar's Bench telling stories. So Dave improvised instead telling me how he loved pickles and had never had a DQ Blizzard - yeah right.

Back on the water we took the dinghy up the smaller creeks to enjoy the views of the shore before retiring back to Tropical Breeze.

Next stop Tangier Island.

The Admiral

5/11 - 5/12/2010

The Rappahannock...

2010-05-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

Friends Jim and Kathy invited us to a social at their yacht club so off to the Rappahannock River we went. We tied up at the Rappahannock River Yacht Club and were greeted by many of its members. All sailboaters, everyone was great in offering rides to the nearest grocery, hardware, or other location we might be in need of. Even better was that everyone had their own sailing stories to tell which always makes for a great evening. Thanks to RRYC for making us feel at home!

The next morning we had plans on leaving the yacht club and heading further upriver. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not going to cooperate with this plan and instead blew stiff southwesterly winds our way pinning us to the dock. So when times are tough - improvise. Jim and Kathy had a plan - they took us on a personalized tour of the communities of Irvington and Kilmarnock. Kathy and I enjoyed the shops while the boys - including Murphy - found the nearest comfortable chair in the shade to enjoy. While out and about Dave picked up some steamed crabs and once back at the yacht club we sat out on a picnic bench on the patio and enjoyed our meal. The Chesapeake at its finest!!

With the weather having shifted it was time to move on. We sailed onto the Corrotoman and enjoyed an evening on the hook before heading into the town of Urbanna. We'd been told to make sure we stopped by the drug store with its old fashioned soda fountain and take in a limeade. You can imagine our disappointment when we arrived and found out that Main street was without water as the city repaired the water main. Bummer - well perhaps next time.

We must keep a moving as there is still plenty to see on the Chesapeake.

The Admiral

5/8 - 5/11/2010

Reedville...

2010-05-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Our Bay travels include days with lots of wind and days with no wind at all. On the days with lots of wind we experienced 25+ knots with gusts up to 38 knots. It allowed for quite the ride aboard Tropical Breeze. Fortunately, on the day with the highest winds we opted to drop the sails - good thing we did because just after the sails had fallen the gusts grew stronger still. Days with no wind included the day we passed Wolf Trap Light which allowed for a great photo of the lighthouse and surrounding stillness. It is hard to believe that the Bay can be filled with white caps one day and completely calm the next.

These travel days eventually landed us in the small community of Reedville, VA. Reedville is the menhaden fishing capital of New England. What are menhaden? They are an especially oily fish. The oil is extracted and processed for use in many products we use every day including soaps, stains, linoleum, fertilizer and more.

While this may not sound like the most appealing of professions, in its day it was very rewarding. In 1910, the town of Reedville boasted the highest income per capita for the entire United States. With the income flowing into the community many stately homes were built and remain today.

While I enjoyed the homes, I think the Captain preferred our stop at the local ice cream shop and the seafood deli. Good to know that Reedville has something for everyone.

The Admiral

5/3 - 5/6 2010

More Yorktown...

2010-05-07T19:13:00.001-07:00

OK - where to begin? We were walking along the beachfront in Yorktown and found this unusual car with its even more unusual occupants. Of course we had to take photos; but it just didn't seem right to have a blog entry talking about the historic Yorktown community and include the car photos as well - so we decided a separate blog post was warranted.

Our Chesapeake adventure continues.

The Admiral

5/2/2010

Yorktown...

2010-05-04T03:29:00.001-07:00

We left Hampton Roads on a day with great southerly breezes and cruised up the Bay at about 7.5 knots. We forget how compact things are on the Bay. That combined with our cruising speed made quick work to getting to the York River. We opted to anchor in Sarah's Creek on the northern side of the river and enjoy a leisurely day on board Tropical Breeze.

The next morning we launched the dinghy and motored across the river to Yorktown. We walked around the small community seeing some of the old buildings, the Victory monument and the battlefield. It is hard to believe that over two hundred years ago US, French, and British forces fought here. The battlefield doesn't seem to leave much protection for a soldier. We can only imagine what the field must have looked like after 9-10 days of fighting between the two sides.

Having viewed the historical area we walked back along the beach. It was not quite noon and already a stiffling hot day. Locals were beginning to position themselves along the beach front to ward off the 90+ degree temperatures - 20 degrees higher than normal for this time of year. It was a bit ironic. Behind us was the battlefield where US independence was won and along the beach it was modern day - life goes on.

The Admiral
5/1 - 5/2/2010

Fort Monroe....

2010-05-03T05:31:00.001-07:00

After great visits in Portsmouth and Norfolk, it was time to move on. As we traveled the Hampton Roads area we passed Mile Marker 0 (buoy "36"); the official end to our Intracoastal Waterway journey. From there we passed the Naval Shipyard with plenty of ships to see. The most impressive were the aircraft carriers - they were HUGE!! And yes, that is an airplane you see on deck in the photo.

From there we crossed from the southern side of the basin to the northern part of the basin giving two navy warships wide berth as we did. That led us to Old Point Comfort and Fort Monroe.

The Fort is the largest stone fort in the United States. It was completed in 1834 and has been used by the Army since that time. Its very long history begins with its construction. Then Lt. Robert E. Lee was stationed at the fort and directed construction. President Lincoln was here during the Civil War and with the assistance of officers planned the attack on Norfolk which was a critical win for the Union Forces. But probably its most notable story is that following the Civil War was that Confederate President Jefferson Davis was imprisoned here.

While still an active military installation, the fort is scheduled to close in 2011. After that I can only assume it will maintain its national landmark status and exclusively become a museum.

Next stop Yorktown.

The Admiral

4/30/2010

Norfolk...

2010-05-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

It was a sad morning. We bid farewell to friends Jim and Kathy on Charm and their four legged crew - Nikki, Tali and most notably Murphy. We'd been traveling with them almost since our winter voyage began and we are very sad to see them go. We do, however, hope to meet up with them in the coming weeks as we explore the Chesapeake Bay.

But we won't be Bay sailing just yet. There is still much to see in the Hampton Roads area. Today, we opted to take the ferry from Portsmouth to Norfolk and enjoy the downtown community. Our first stop was the Nauticus complex which features the USS Battleship Wisconsin as well as the Nauticus Museum and the US Naval Museum. We elected not to tour the Wisconsin and instead chose to spend time at the US Naval Museum. What a treat! Volunteer Tony guided us through the museum telling us stories of our naval heritage that we never knew. For example, did you know that the Merrimac was actually a Union ship which the Union burned along with the Union Naval Shipyard to ensure that the Confederacy would not benefit from it. On arriving at the shipyard the Confederates found the Merrimac burned to the waterline in its dock. They hoisted her out and used the hull to construct the ironclad USS Virginia who would then serve as the Confederate defense in the famous USS Monitor vs. Merrimac (CSS Virginia) incident.

We walked Norfolk's Cannonball Trail, a self-guided walking tour which takes you to all the significant spots in the downtown area. The trail featured bronze statues of navy sailors, historic homes, the MacArthur Memorial and more. By the close of our day our feet were tired and our minds overflowing with new knowledge of our nation's history.

We took the return ferry to Portsmouth and thought our touring for the day was complete. That was before we heard bagpipes playing down the street. We followed the sounds and were treated to a performances by a troupe bagpipers, Scottish dancers, precision gun team and a Marine band. It was all a prelude to the upcoming International Tattoo festival which honors patriotism. How fun!

It had been a full day but there is so much more to see! We will conclude our trip in the Hampton Roads area with a trip to Fort Monroe. Then it will be time to begin our Chesapeake adventure.

The Admiral

4/29/2010

Portsmouth...

2010-04-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

We are now in the Hampton Roads area and that means big boats and lots of them. Navy and commercial vessels are common sites in this area but one thing that we aren't used to seeing is a cruise ship in dry dock. If you think these big boats look huge in the water, imagine seeing one in dry dock. Quite the site!

We began our tour of Portsmouth at the Lightship museum and the Maritime museum. A lightship is essentially a floating lighthouse that also doubled as a rescue vessel. I must believe this had to be one of the most boring occupations in the service as crews of 9-14 men per vessel would be dispatched for 2-4 months at a time with the responsibility of maintaining the light and only serving as a rescue vessel in times of need.

Spring is in full bloom in the area and that was evident as we walked the streets of the historic district and viewed the homes; blossoming flowers and trees in their fine greenery added to the beauty of the area.

It would be our last evening with friends on Charm, as they would be continuing there journey home and we would opt to do some bumming around the area. We chose a Pub which had good burgers, good beer and good prices. It would have been a perfect meal if not for the pickle incident......yes friends......you know what I'm getting at here. The Captain has a severe aversion to pickles and neglected to order his hamburger platter absent pickle. We realized after the order was placed but it was too late. The burger was plated with pickle and despite the waitress' removing the pickle from the plate before it reached the table, the Captain's plate had - yep you guessed it - 'essence' of pickle on the burger bun. Oh dear, if you can imagine Eeyore's sorry eyes and face you'd have a great description of the Captain.

Tomorrow, Norfolk.

The Admiral

4/28/2010

The Dismal Swamp...

2010-04-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

The Dismal Swamp is one of the most beautiful legs of our journey. It is a 21 mile land cut that connects Albemarle Sound and the southern Chesapeake. Originally opened in 1805, it took over 12 years to hand dig the cut. Truly amazing.

We took our time as we traveled through the area The first evening we rafted off of Charm at the NC Visitor Center. Storms moved through the area so we spent the evening enjoying movies and grilling out.

The second evening we spent at Elizabeth's Dock - again rafted with Charm. We had high hopes of stopping at a local Mexican retaurant for dinner out but again more rain showers found us and we instead chose to stay aboard enjoying more movies and homemade pizza.

Our third day in the swamp began with breakfast with Robert. He is the Lockmaster at the Deep Creek lock. We enjoyed good conversation with Robert and other boaters before locking through and completing our Dismal Swamp voyage.

With time on our hands and good weather ahead we are opting to stay in Portsmouth for a day or two to enjoy the nautical history in the area.

The Admiral

4/26 - 4/28/2010

Elizabeth City...

2010-04-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

With a major storm front expected, we were in a hurry to get to Elizabeth City and secure dock space at the town docks before the storm's arrival. The anchor was up at 5:50am - way too early for me - but the early start gave us a beautiful view of the sunrise.

By the time we passed under the Alligator River Bridge, the winds in the Abermarle Sound were picking up nicely so we hoisted the spinnaker for a great sail across the Sound. We sailed along at 7.5 knots making quick work of the 45 mile journey to Elizabeth City.

Once docked, the priority became laundry. Yes laundry!! We had somehow accumulated 5 loads of laundry and it was quite the challenge to drag it down to the laundromat about 1/2 mile away. With laundry accomplished it was time to treat ourselves to some fun so, with our friends on Charm, we went out for supper at a local seafood shop. Mmmmmm!!

Back at the boat, Tropical Breeze was capturing lots of glances from the many students and families who had gathered in the park where the boat was docked. It was prom night and it quickly became apparent that a tradition is to have prom photos taken at the park overlooking the river. It was quite a site - all the young people in dresses and tuxedos.

The storm which was to arrive overnight didn't. Instead we were greeted the next day to a brisk wind but plenty of sunshine. Given that we expected 30-40 knot winds with lots of rain, we gladly chose the alternative. So after a day of bumming about Elizabeth City and happy hour on board Tropical Breeze there was only one thing left to do - get the Captain his birthday blizzard. With all the challenges that January and February had brought us, we had never made it to Dairy Queen for Dave's birthday blizzard. I must say I was really beginning to tire of hearing about how deprived he was of his birthday treat so when we realized that their was a DQ within walking distance of the boat, we walked up and resolved the issue.

But yes, those of you who know Dave well also know that getting him his birthday treat was not going to stop him from yearning for more blizzards in the future. Even before he had finished his long awaited soft serve, he was already asking when he could expect his anniversary blizzard followed by his summer solstice blizzard etc.

Ahhhh life with the Captain always takes me in such sweet directions and that normally means to the nearest ice cream shop.

The Admiral

4/24 - 4/25/2010

PS. Thanks to Kathy on Charm for the photo of Tropical Breeze under sail.

Beaufort, NC...

2010-04-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

From Southport, NC we continued northbound to Moorhead City. There we realized we were out of potatoes, tomatoes, fruit, orange juice, bread and were down to our last onion. So out came the bikes and we cycled off to the supermarket for provisions.

Without the threat of going hungry we traveled just a few miles further to Beaufort, NC. It was here that we met up with friends Jim, Kathy and Murphy again and went on a walking tour of the city. The top sites in Beaufort, NC are the Maritime Museum and the Burial Ground. At the museum we saw the head of a 2080 pound great white shark that was caught off Cape Fear in 1985. The shark was feasting off smaller sharks that had been caught by fisherman and in the process of its feeding frenzy managed to get itself caught up in the fishing lines. The museum displays only the head of the shark but it alone is intimidating enough! On a lighter side the museum also has the shell of a 20 pound lobster. Just one claw was enough to feed a family of four - well at least the Captain and I anyway.

From there we walked over to the burial ground and while I was originally a bit hesitant about walking through the cemetary, I have to admit it was quite interesting. Numbered markers were placed throughout the cemetary and a brochure informed us of the specifics of who the person was. There were men who fought in the revolutionary war - even a British officer who was buried standing up in salute of his home country. There were children who's graves were decorated with shells and children's toys. One young lady had died on a return trip from England with her father and rather than bury her at sea her father placed her corpse in a barrel of rum. Once she returned to the US, and her mother, the child was buried in the cemetary - still in the barrel of rum. Quite amazing!

Having seen Beaufort, it was time to continue on. We were up early with the intention of hoisting the anchor by 7:30 am. But whe we went to hoist the anchor we realized that no matter how much power we gave the engines we were moving nowhere! We were stuck - in the muck!! The wind had pushed us toward shore and the tide had dropped just low enough that we - a catamaran who draws less than 4 foot - were on the hard. How embarrassing!! Well Jim, Kathy and Murphy continued their journey. Meanwhile Dave and I decided to have a lazy morning with pancake breakfast and a movie. With the movie over we thought we could be on our way. Guess again - still stuck!! Fortunately, the tide was coming in more swiftly now and it was just another 15-20 minutes before we could be on our way. Thank heavens!

Fortunately, Jim, Kathy and Murphy took pity on us and slowly made their way up the ICW that day. This gave us the opportunity to catch up with them at the Bear Creek anchorage. But we were having such a good day that while in the anchorage we found the shoal and managed to get ourselves stuck again - fortunately only for a minute - before successfully dropping the hook.

Oh my what a day! Aground twice and three and a half hours on the hard! You can imagine that by the end of the day I was ready for a stiff drink!

The Admiral

4/20 -4/22/2010

PS Welcome to new readers Ed and Lois and Ed and Lynn. We hope you enjoy our journey.

Southport...

2010-04-22T03:39:00.001-07:00

Our first stop in North Carolina was Southport. A fishing village, the town docks prominently display their fishing vessels and seafood restaurants. Further inland the community is built of mainly old homes (1850's - 1930's) which feature plaquards of what historic community figure lived in the residence originally. Many of the plaquards featured pilots who would guide ships safely in through Frying Pan shoals and the Cape Fear inlet.

We tied up to the free town dock, walked around town and enjoyed an excellent dinner at the Fishy Fishy Cafe which featured local seafood - flounder, scallops and oysters.

At low tide, Dave found a vessel - or what was left of it - long ago gone astray. We wondered if it would have benefited from the guidance of one of the local pilots. Perhaps not.

The Admiral

4/18 - 4/19/2010

Making More Tracks...

2010-04-21T05:28:00.001-07:00

We left Fernandina and since, I confess, it has been a bit of a blur. In Georgia, we wound our way north on the rivers through the low lying marshes. Many boaters avoid Georgia because of its winding path and historically shallow waters. I find it serene. The boat traffic is lighter in Georgia so you can look across the vast marshlands and almost feel as if you are the only living soul for miles. That is, of course, with the exception of the bird life which adds to the peacefullness of it all. Frequently we see birds nests on the mile markers and I was finally successful in capturing a photo with a bird in his/her nest.

From there we crossed into South Carolina which I always equate with Charleston. Unfair I know because the state has so many other great things to offer. Yet for me, a favorite spot is Charleston. We didn't stay this time. We only stopped to pick up fuel and water. The mega dock was filled with mega sized boats this trip. A sailing monohull which had to be at least 120 foot long. A big power yacht at least 150 foot in length and then this little 80-90 foot sailing catamaran that Dave admired.

Despite our short Charleston stay, we were able to take in some practice runs of the US Navy's Blue Angels. They were flying overhead as we crossed Charleston Harbor oftentimes just a mere 100 foot above us. The roar of their engines deafening as they went by.

Then with a blink of an eye we were crossing the Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge in North Carolina. We were happy to get through. The bridge has been closing periodically because of the extreme low tides that the area has been experiencing.

The journey continues.

The Admiral
4/11 - 4/17/2010

Fernandina Beach...

2010-04-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island is a new port of call for us and one we can't believe we hadn't stopped at before now. How enjoyable!

The downtown community is a historic district and we enjoyed a morning of walking up and down the streets with Jim, Kathy and our four legged friend Murphy - of course - taking in the splendor of the historic homes.

After a great day of touring it was once again time to head north. So after a morning stop at the Farmer's Market and another stop at Pattycakes Bakery for brownies - our third stop at the bakery in as many days - we would be on our way.

Or voyage would now continue on the Intracoastal Waterway as the winds had turned unfavorable to continue our journey on in the Atlantic.

The Admiral

4/9 - 4/10/2010

P.S. Dave, Shirley and Christopher - So glad to hear that Tiffany Rose will be enjoying the water for the summer. As you can see we finally made it to Fernandina - a port of call I know the three of you enjoyed. No, we will not be storing in Charleston this year. We've opted to head up to the Chesapeake for some Bay sailing before we bring our season to a close.

Making Tracks...

2010-04-09T17:22:00.001-07:00

With the shuttle launch behind us we opted to take advantage of the southerly winds and pop out to the Atlantic for our northerly journey. So out the Canaveral Inlet we went. Through the lock, past the bridge - in which only 3 of 4 spans would open - and out into the Atlantic.

The run was interesting. We began with a hop from Canaveral to St. Augustine. Unfortunately, the winds died shortly after we reached the channel so we ended up motoring the entire way. Several hours into our trip the starbord engine started acting up again. I guess the fuel filter wasn't the problem. A little while after that the chartplotter started losing its GPS signal and kept beeping at us to make us aware that it wasn't working. Dave and I started to think we had somehow drifted into the Bermuda Triangle - eeekkkkk. Fortunately not. Using the port engine we continued our journey and opted to turn off the chartplotter and use the shoreline as our guide. Twenty-two hours into our adventure we arrived in St. Augustine. The chartplotter had mysteriously rid itself of its issues and Dave had brainstormed the problem with the starbord engine and was able to fixed it. Thank heavens!

But weather was not going to continue to be our friend and we knew it. So nine hours after our St. Augustine arrival we left again. This time destined for Fernandina Beach near the Florida / Georgia State Line. The winds were much more cooperative on this leg of the journey and we successfully made the 50 ish mile journey under spinnaker sail.

We arrived before dawn and enjoyed a much needed sleep.

The Admiral

4/6 - 4/8/2010

Blast Off...

2010-04-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

We were up at 5am and walked about 1 1/2 miles to the Banana River Bridge to see the shuttle launch. We anticipated that we would be the only people crazy enough to get up early to watch the launch. We thought wrong as there were already 30-40 people standing at the base of the Banana River Bridge in anticipation of the launch when we arrived.

A fellow shuttle watcher let us view the shuttle through his binoculars. We were 10-12 miles away from the pad but through the lenses could see the shuttle standing at its launch ramp clear as day. While we were waiting for the launch we saw the International Space Station going past overhead - pretty cool.

Someone had a radio on nearby with shuttle commentary. The spokeperson said countown 2 minutes and 39 seconds to launch and then the shuttle blasted off.....I didn't even have the camera ready. I guess the commentary was slightly delayed!!

Nonetheless, at 6:21am the launch pad lit up and the shuttle took off. We watched for many minutes as its glow climbed into the sky. Despite the darkness, you could see the smoke trails behind it clearly. When the visual spectacle was almost over, the sound of the launch finally reached us. It was a huge rumble, like a thunderstorm.

All in all, really impressive!! We walked back to the boat and when the sun did come up we were able to get a photo of the residual smoke trails lighting up the sky. What a great start to the day!

The Admiral

4/5/2010

Easter...

2010-04-05T04:43:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely at the Harbortowm Marina on the Canaveral Barge canal. Then it was time for work as the Captain stepped into the engine compartments to change the fuel filters. By the looks of the filters, it was time for a change. We are confident that this was the source of our problems.

With the work complete, it was time to enjoy a nice Easter dinner. We decided to try making our own crab cakes. They turned out pretty good - at least good enough that we plated them special and took a photo. Friend Kathy on Charm would be proud. The meal yielded the use of 5 cans of our Bahamas provisions - which never saw the Bahamas - and used one bottle of wine.

Happy Easter.

The Admiral

4/4/2010 pm

Northbound...

2010-04-05T04:36:00.001-07:00

Light southerly winds made for a great day of sailing. It was the first time this season we had the sails up. We again enjoyed that feeling of being liberated from the dock - that is until the power boats started passing us - then we just felt like turtles.

We anchored somewhere in Cocoa for the evening and then motored into Canaveral on Easter Sunday. While we normally motor with just one engine in an effort to conserve fuel, today we found using one engine to be a necessity. The starbord engine was losing RPMs and we believe fuel starved. We hope with a filter change we can remedy the issue.

The Admiral

4/3 - 4/4/2010 am

Vero Beach...

2010-04-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

Oddly, Vero Beach was not very crowded when we arrived. Usually we end up rafting 3 boats together to a mooring ball - which gets pretty darn wide when you think of 3 catamarans all rafted together - but not today. Instead we stood alone on mooring ball #1.

There is lots to do in Vero. They have a great bus system which will take you to the beach, the mall and plenty of places in between. We were in need of a grocery run. So off we went via bus to the local market.

With the shopping done, we will continue the trek northbound with the hopes of shuttle launch viewing in our future.

The Admiral

4/1 - 4/2/2010

Peck Lake...

2010-04-02T13:53:00.001-07:00

We gave hugs and kisses to our friends, handed out dog treats to our four legged buddies and then attempted to cast off away from the dock. Just when we thought we were leaving, the train bridge closed and we were trapped. One train went by but the bridge didn't open then another train went by and finally the bridge opened and we were free to go. Sunset Bay is like the Hotel California, you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave (except we had lots of "spirits" there).

While we will miss our friends at Sunset Bay bunches, it felt quite liberating to be away from the dock. After all, Tropical Breeze hadn't been on the move since December.

Our first stop was a mere 9 miles away at Peck Lake. We dropped the hook, made sure it was secure and then launched the dinghy for shore.

Peck Lake isn't really a lake. It is a widening in the ICW allowing for a boat anchorage. Once on shore, you can walk east and within minutes you find yourself on a beach along the Atlantic. It was great to let our feet sink into the sand and feel the cool Atlantic Ocean between our toes.

Next stop Vero Beach.

The Admiral

3/31/2010

Farewell Parties....

2010-04-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

With the spring season on us, it is time to begin saying goodbye to friends both old and new. Of course to say goodbye appropriately requires one good party...or two...perhaps three. Our farewell season began with a cookout with friends Jim and Kathy on Charm, Eric and Ellen on Westwind and Ed and Gillian. Excellent burgers, even better side dishes, great friends and wine always make for an awesome evening!

But there were more friends to say goodbye to. So a happy hour was in order. Joe and Patti joined us from Acacia as well as Jim and Kathy. More food, more drink and more fun!

Yet the best was saved for last. A party hosted by the marina to thank all the marina guests for a wonderful first marina season. While the goal was to say goodbye we made a new friend. Ingrid, a boater and Tropical Breeze blog reader stopped by to introduce herself. You have no idea how excited the Captain and I are to find out that someone actually reads our blog!! .... besides our favorite Dave's, of course. More food, more fun and dancing 'til sunset made for another wonderful night.

The Admiral

3/26 - 3/30/2010

Walking Buddies...

2010-03-30T17:30:00.001-07:00

For the last month Ellen from Westwind and I have had the goal of walking 20,000 steps daily. Now, for those of you thinking.....20,000 steps that's easy.....think again. The only way we've found to accomplish it is to start each day with a 90 minute powerwalk. This gives us about 11-12 thousand steps. We are then able to get the remaining 8000+ steps through the normal course of our day.

With all the stepping one would think I'd have dropped a few pounds. Unfortunately not. We have, however, started a trend and there are now at least 6 other boater friends of ours who are pedometer converts. Of course, some are more converted than others. Captain Dave and Ellen's husband, Captain Eric, only seem interested in getting their steps in when it involves going out for food or drink. Oh my.

The Admiral

3/28/2010

PS. Dave.....thanks for the manatee song! Now I know that I need to coax the manatee with verses of French.

The MS POOP...

2010-03-30T17:19:00.001-07:00

Ok.....many of you may not appreciate this blog post - consider yourself warned!! But think about it....while on the boat we are essentially a floating house. We need to carry all our electrical, water, plumbing and yes, sewage right along with us. So at some point the sewage has to end up somewhere and that is when the MS POOP is appreciated most!

The MS POOP makes house calls weekly and takes away with it your 'excess' making room for new #@!%. Not sure there is a politer way to put this.

So, consider yourself informed.

The Admiral

3/25/2010

The Mega Marine Store...

2010-03-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

A boater's shopping is never done!!! Since we had a car, we decided to check out a marine store we'd heard about in Fort Pierce. It was just a little store!!

We walked around (for hours) and must have seen every conceivable size of propeller imaginable. You name it - this place had it. The boys, remarkably, were pretty civilized as they went up and down the aisles looking at all the boat toys available.

We also had a day for our favorite Irish terrier, Murphy. We went to the doggie beach and enjoyed a game of fetch. It was much more fun than our attempts to seek out the manatee. Despite efforts, the manatee continue to elude us. Perhaps next time.

More to come.

The Admiral

3/20/2010

The Governor...

2010-03-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

We had a visitor to the marina. Florida Governor, and Senate candidate, Charlie Christ stopped by to check out the marina. While Dave didn't have an opportunity to speak with him, we were able to catch a photo of the two. Boy....Dave hanging with the Governor....who'd have thought!!

The Admiral
3/18/2010

Fort Lauderdale...

2010-03-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

It was a banner day for the Captain. We started the day by traveling to the Dania Beach Nautical Flea Market. It is the country's largest nautical market and we had great fun rummaging around boat stuff looking for some things on the Captain's wish list. We were successful - and found some line and additional fenders for Tropical Breeze.

But the largest nautical flea market wasn't enough to exhaust the Captain. From there we went to Sailorman, a dealer of new and used nautical equipment. Dave quickly grabbed a shopping cart with the intention of filling it with boat goodies.

After reducing some of Sailorman's inventory we made a final stop at the West Marine. It was, without question, the largest West Marine store we'd ever seen. Dave really wanted to replace the dinghy with a 10 foot inflatable jet boat - fortunately, I was able to talk him out of it!!

The Admiral

3/20/2010

Meet Murphy...

2010-03-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day would not be complete without Murphy, an Irish Terrier all dressed up for the holiday.

While Murphy got lots of attention, his parents, Jim and Kathy, Dave, I and others all chose to celebrate Murphy's Day at the local drinking establishment Duffy's followed by an evening of card play.

Great food and great fun was had by all.

The Admiral
3/17/2010

Beach Days...

2010-03-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

The spring-like weather brought over 7 inches of rain in one day last week. The rain had us hiding out and seeking shelter.

Following all the rain, we were greeted with a beautiful sunny day which we chose to spend walking the beach. We found lots of shells and plenty of man-of-war.

We also went in search of manatee at a popular manatee hangout in the river. Unfortunately, no manatee were seen but we did find a sting ray loitering in the sun. (Christopher, I remain jealous of your manatee photo from last season. They continue to elude me - and my camera.)

The Admiral

3/13/2010

More Exploring...

2010-03-13T08:28:00.001-08:00

With the spring-like weather continuing, we decided it was time for our annual trolley tour of Stuart.

We toured all around town and had a great time....but Eric driving......oh my!!

The Admiral

3/11/2010

The Weather...

2010-03-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

While we've enjoyed our winter in Florida (vs. the brisk Midwest), the weather has been a bit unpredictable. High winds and unseasonably low temperatures have kept us from some activities. One of those activities is installing a lightning protector on the mast.

Fortunately, the winds cleared and Dave (with help from Jim) was able to hoist up the mast for the install. Timing is good. Last spring, during our northbound voyage, we ran into some frightening pop up storms with plenty of lightning and thunder. Hopefully the lightning protector will keep us safe from any stray bolts Mother Nature may throw in our direction.

The Admiral

3/8/2010

Exploring Stuart...

2010-03-09T15:37:00.001-08:00

With the weather warming, we've been exploring the town of Stuart Florida. Its a great little city. Sunday they had their weekly farmers market, antiques for sale in the park and jazz playing alog the riverwalk.

It made for a perfect stroll - stopping at Kilwins for ice cream, of course.

The Admiral

3/7/2010

Food...Glorious Food....

2010-03-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

The cruising life, of course, would not be complete without finding the best happy hour and meal deals in town. PA's Grille is one of our favorites. Their special on Monday nights is a rack of ribs and sides for $10.99. The ribs are excellent!

The only problem Dave has had lately is that I will only let him eat out once a week......so he must choose. Will it be ribs at PA's. The 40% off menu and 2 for 1 happy hour at Duffy's or the $4.99 lunch special at Flanigan's.

Such challenges the Captain faces........

The Admiral

3/1/2010

Olympic Fever...

2010-03-01T06:52:00.000-08:00

The marina has had Olympic fever for almost two weeks now but that was nothing compared to the rallying we had on Sunday afternoon with the gang all gathering and displaying their colors in anticipation of the big USA vs. Canada hockey match.

The spectators were evenly matched between the US and Canada. Most were cheering on their home countries....and some (like the Admiral) just decided to throw their support over to the home team.

It was a nail biter but when Crosby found the net during OT I think you could here the shouts from the marina all the way to Vancouver.

The Admiral

2/28/2010

Back to the Routine...

2010-02-27T08:41:00.000-08:00

We've been working hard getting back to our 'boat routine'. That, of course, includes lots of social activities and happy hours.

Its great to be able to sit out in the cockpit and tip a few again.....even if its before 5:00.

The Admiral

2/23 - 2/27/2010

We're Back...

2010-02-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

Well so much for wintering in a warm weather climate!! Pictured here is the chilly midwestern climate we've enjoyed the last many weeks. And yes, the palm tree is artificial.

Nonetheless, we are happy to report that Dave and I have returned to Florida and that Dave's parents, who both were sick, are recovering well.

As for what's next? We have no idea. It is a bit late in the season to head towards the Bahamas (for us anyway). I think for now we will hang out in Florida and just enjoy boat life (even tied to a dock) for a while before deciding on our next port of call.

Cheers.

The Admiral

2/22/2010

Pause...

2010-01-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, Captain Dave has had to go home for a family emergency. Our southbound journey is on hold for now.

More to come.

The Admiral

2009 Wrap Up...

2010-01-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

The Captain and I traveled back to the Midwest for the holiday season. The morning we left Florida it was 79 degrees and the sun hadn’t even come up yet. We arrived in the Midwest and it was 7 – what were we thinking???? Despite the chilly temps, we’ve enjoyed the snow. Home had already seen its first snowfall before our arrival and while we were at home we would see another 2+ feet. It kept Dave busy shoveling out the driveway.

Unfortunately the holiday was not all fun and games. Dave’s Dad was admitted to the hospital on Christmas Eve. The diagnosis - a gall stone which caused irritation to his liver and caused a blood infection. Fortunately after a week of good medical care and antibiotics he was released. He is back at home, and very nearly back to his usual routine.

As for us, we’ve decided the Midwest is too stressful and are looking forward getting back on board.

Have a very Happy New Year!!

Dave and Joanne

Simple Living...

2009-12-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

We’ve arrived in Stuart, the weather has cleared and we have been enjoying company with friends.

As promised, in this post, we’ve opted to focus on the boat accommodations. On board we have 3 staterooms, 2 heads (bathrooms), a kitchen, a salon and the cockpit. As far as boats go, the accommodations are very generous – one of the benefits of choosing a catamaran. While we forgo the microwave, dishwasher and most countertop appliances, we do have a 4 burner stove, oven, deep freezer and refrigerator.

Our electrical needs are addressed by solar panels. Our cooking fuel is propane. And yes, we do need to stop periodically and get our sewage holding tank pumped out. Beyond that, we just travel along by wind or diesel motor and enjoy the simple living.

The Admiral
12/7/09 – 12/11/09

PS - Captain John and Admiral Ginger, thanks for the note! We've added your blog to our 'watch list' and hope to meet you at sometime along our route.

Never Fool with Mother Nature....

2009-12-09T03:46:00.001-08:00

My last post must have upset Mother Nature - just days later she unleashed rain and rain and more rain. As we motored down the ICW Captain Dave was driving through a day and a half of downpour – not fun. With the rain also came the wind. Pictured here is the red lifeguard flag on the ocean side of Vero Beach. It is red to note the hazardous swimming conditions, wind and waves.

Even more disappointing than the rain, however, is that we missed the launching of the Delta rocket. We were traveling through the Port Canaveral area for several days when the rocket was supposed to launch. Unfortunately, the weather delayed the launch and we missed it. Well – there is always next year.

The Admiral
12/4/09- 12/6/09

PS - Dave K. - Glad to hear you are enjoying the blog and that you will get to head to warmer weather for the holiday.

PPS - The Crew of Tiffany Rose - I remain jealous of Christopher's manatee photo from last year. Dave's seen several manatee on our southbound journey this year, but all I've seen is manatee wake.

Waiting out the Weather...

2009-12-03T05:21:00.001-08:00

We’ve spent the last two days enjoying Palm Coast while we’ve waited for a storm to pass. We’ve waited and waited and once the storm finally made its way to us it was nothing more than rain. The high winds predicted never materialized.

Even better, was that the cold weather that was to be behind the storm didn’t make it either. Looks like we will need to suffer through another day of 80+ degrees!

More to come.

The Admiral
12/2/09-12/3/09

Docks of the ICW...

2009-12-02T04:59:00.001-08:00

Along the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) we see lots of things: homes, boats, wildlife and lots and lots of docks. Some docks are big, some docks are small, some have birds and some have none and then some have built ‘cottages’ on their dock bigger than some houses. I thought you might enjoy a few we saw between St. Augustine and Palm Coast.

The Admiral
12/1/09

Christmas is in the Air...

2009-12-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving behind us, Christmas lights began to make their appearance. Jekyll Island’s entry boulevard was lit with many shapes and colors including pineapples. With Marylee and Charm we motor-sailed offshore to St. Augustine and were greeted by the white lights and wreaths in the evening. The holiday spirit is definitely beginning to show!

Now just because we are seeing signs of Christmas, that does not include Christmas like weather. We've enjoyed low 70 degree weather the last several days - and we aren't going to complain a bit!

The Admiral
11/27/09-11/30/09